The Dallas Police Department has released 911 call audio and bodycam footage related to the fatal shooting of a man in a homeless encampment last Friday.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Cody Watkins, 34, was shot to death by officers after he purportedly moved toward them with a knife in a wooded area near White Rock Creek in Council Member Jaynie Schultz’s District 11. Watkins had allegedly committed an act of family violence with a knife, which had prompted the 911 call.
The release of the video footage comes as DPD continues to operate with some 1,000 fewer officers than what a prior City analysis has advised.
Polling conducted by The Dallas Express shows that roughly 75% of Dallas residents think homelessness, vagrancy, and aggressive panhandling are “major” problems in the City. Respondents also seem to be generally supportive of Haven for Hope’s “one-stop-shop” homeless services model in San Antonio. The model has been credited with a 77% reduction in unsheltered homelessness in San Antonio’s downtown area.
Here’s some of what Fox 4 KDFW reported about Friday’s shooting and the release of the footage:
At a news conference on Monday, Chief Eddie Garcia said the three responding officers spent 50 minutes trying to deescalate the situation in stifling heat and get Watkins to some out.
“Back up, drop the knives with your hands up,” one of the officers can be heard saying in the video.
“At one point, while continuing to hold a knife, he threw another knife at the direction of officers. When verbal commands were unsuccessful, an officer used pepper spray, a taser, 44mm stinger to get Watkins to comply,” said Garcia. “The suspect yelled from the force and said, ‘Why don’t you just kill me then?!’ And then came at the officers holding the knife.”
Body camera video showed Watkins lunge out of the tent towards the officers while still holding a knife. Two of them, Senior Corporal Brandon Massey and Officer Dakota Capparucci, opened fire, killing Watkins.
“There was one individual who dictated the outcome of this and that was the individual who charged out of that tent with a knife threatening my officers.,” said Chief Garcia. “Any loss of life is tragic it’s tragic for everyone involved, for those who live near the scene and for our officers involved that night. This is never our intended outcome.”