ARLINGTON, Texas — Arlington police Thursday released body camera video and 911 audio from a shooting April 25 in which an officer fatally shot a suspect police say brandished a knife and moved toward officers as they responded to a call about a possible stabbing at an apartment complex.
Police responded at 4:41 p.m. April 25 to the apartment complex in the 2700 block of Lawrence Road after they say a man, later determined to be 31-year-old Michael Bassey, called 911 claiming he stabbed and killed someone.
As officers approached the apartment, police said they saw Bassey looking out of the window. Officers then set up a perimeter around the apartment and ordered Bassey to come outside, officials said
Bassey eventually came out of the apartment holding a knife, and police say he didn’t follow commands from officers to drop the knife. Instead, police say Bassey walked to the parking lot of the apartment complex and ran in the direction of officers. An officer then fired at Bassey, officials say.
Bassey fell to the ground, but quickly got up and began running from officers while still holding the knife, according to Arlington PD.
Officers pursued Bassey on foot to a wooded area that separates the east side of the apartment complex from Collins Street. Bassey started to run down an embankment, but turned around, raised the knife, and ran in the direction of the officers, Arlington PD said.
At that point, the same officer that fired the first shot fired a second shot, police confirm.
Bassey fell to the ground, got up again, and ran down an embankment to a field along Collins Street, APD officials said. When Bassey got to the field, he fell to the ground still holding the knife, according to police.
When Bassey tried to stand up, a second officer stunned Bassey with a Taser and immobilized him, and officers moved in, took the knife from him, and detained him, Arlington PD said.
As officers were placing Bassey in handcuffs, they discovered a gunshot wound and began performing life-saving measures on Bassey until paramedics arrived, police said.
Bassey was taken to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
No officers were injured.
“A third officer deployed a taser and a fourth officer deployed a 40 mm less lethal round during the encounter – but neither appear to have hit Mr. Bassey,” according to a news release from police. "Additional responding officers checked the apartment for any stabbing victims but did not locate anyone inside. They also checked with emergency rooms at area hospitals, but none reported any patients with stab wounds. After investigating the matter further, APD does not believe Mr. Bassey stabbed anyone, despite what he told 911 Dispatch.
Investigations into the shooting remain ongoing, Arlington Police Chief Al Jones said Thursday, and the officer who fired the shots remains on paid administrative leave. The other officers who responded to the incident have returned to their normal shift, according to the police department.