Shocking bodycam footage has revealed the moment a Colorado police officer shot dead a motorist after she claimed she had reached for a gun.
Westminster, Colorado police report that 46-year-old Alysha Duran pulled out a gun on July 25 when an officer approached her car when it was pulled over on the wrong side of the street.
The panicked officer immediately ran behind her car after noticing the gun, which cannot be seen in the footage, and yelled, “What’s in there?” before opening fire a few seconds later.
The fatal shot went through the rear driver’s side window, eventually killing Duran and hitting the windshield of the car across the street from her.
Viewers were divided over the incident, with some claiming the officer was only identified as “N”. Adams was shot too quickly by police while others argued the killing was justified.
Alysha Duran, 46, was shot and killed by a Colorado police officer on July 25 after allegedly trying to grab a pistol
The bodycam footage begins with the police officer approaching Duran and asking if she’s okay and why she’s being stopped on the wrong side of the road
The bodycam footage begins with the police officer getting into a bizarre situation where Duran is stopped in the street and faces another vehicle. It’s unclear what prompted Duran to quit in this way.
After speaking to the other driver, he approached Duran, who was sitting alone in her car, her face frozen. She then appears to ignore him as he orders her to roll down the window, and it takes a few moments for her to finally comply.
When the officer went to ask her if she was okay and what she was doing on the street, she grabbed her pendant necklace and started rubbing it. The exchange of blows then quickly escalates when the officer spots a gun next to her.
“After several attempts to speak to the driver, she pulled out a pistol,” Westminster Police said in a statement accompanying the bodycam footage.
“What do you have in there? what do you have in there “Oh damn,” the officer yelled after spotting the gun.
As the officer approaches the car, Duran, stone-faced, appears to ignore his instruction to roll down the window for a time before finally complying
After a brief chat, the police officer notices a gun in the car and yells, “What’s in there?” What do you have in there? Oh damn
The officer draws his gun and sprints around the back of the car, a common police technique used by officers to distance themselves from a perceived threat
He then draws his gun and fires through Duran’s rear driver’s side window, and the bullet pierces Duran before landing in the windshield of the vehicle opposite her (seen on the left).
As he verbally abused Duran, the officer unholstered his own gun and ran around the back of their car, a common technique used by officers to increase the distance between themselves and perceived danger.
After pausing for just a few seconds, the officer opened fire, shattering the rear driver’s side window and hitting Duran. The bullet went through her and landed in the windshield of an innocent car.
Duran was taken to the hospital but was pronounced dead there.
At the time of the incident, Westminster Police Chief Cheri Spottke said a gun was later found in the woman’s car and the officer who fired the shot had been with the police for more than 20 years, according to 9News.
“We understand that incidents of this nature have a profound impact on our citizens, families and employees,” the ministry statement said.
“We understand the concerns that arise after an officer fired. It is important to remember that these situations are complex and often require our officers to make difficult decisions in a matter of seconds.”
The officer has been placed on paid administrative leave, in accordance with department guidelines, while the shooting is investigated.
The bullet hit the vehicle of an innocent passer-by, who was fortunately unharmed in the horrific incident
The Westminster Police Department (pictured) said in a statement that it “is important to remember that these situations are complex and often require difficult, split-second decisions from our officers”.
Viewing the bodycam footage, former police officer and deputy sheriff James Allbee (pictured) said the shooting was justified because the officer followed proper police procedures
Some claimed online that the shooting was unjustified and that the officer may have fired too quickly, without giving Duran a chance to explain why she had the gun.
Months earlier, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed into law a sweeping body of legislation restricting gun control. These included expanded gun confiscation options, making it easier for victims to sue gun manufacturers, raising the minimum age and introducing a three-day cooling-off period for purchases.
However, the shooting was justified by former police officer and sheriff’s deputy James Allbee, who told FOX31 he believed the officer was in the context of a lawful shooting.
“Because of his actions, that would be consistent with trying to distance himself from an imminent threat,” he said.
“In the modern age we live in anything can get dangerous at some point and luckily the officer was paying close enough attention and didn’t let his guard down so much that luckily no one else was hurt.”
He added that it was “interesting” in the event that Duran appeared to be rubbing her pendant necklace before the shooting.