CSPD releases body cam video of March 13 officer-involved shooting
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) announced in February that going forward they would be releasing body cam video of all officer-involved shootings.
Wednesday, the department released body cam video of an officer-involved shooting on March 13.
WARNING: VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED
That video can be found here: Significant Even Briefing: Officer-Involved Shooting, March 13, 2023
In this particular case, officers were attempting to arrest a wanted man, Jose Aponte.
The incident actually started two days prior to the officer-involved shooting at Aponte's home on North Foote Ave, which is near Union and Uintah.
According to CSPD, the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region had asked for police help in seizing a dangerous dog that had injured three people. At that time, 52-year-old Aponte was wanted on four active warrants and was not supposed to be at the home because of a protection order.
CSPD said when officers arrived that day, Aponte was not there but the dog was. The dog bit an officer and the officer fatally shot it.
The following day, CSPD received a call about shouting at the same home and a man threatening a woman inside. That woman told officers Aponte was hiding somewhere in the house.
The officers found him hiding under a bag in a cluttered crawl space.
In the video, you can officers order Aponte to show them his hands multiple times, but he refuses. Aponte can be heard saying that they shot his dog and he wants to die as well. Officers attempted to taser Aponte twice, but it appears the taser was blocked by a bag and did not work.
According to CSPD, Aponte then suddenly pointed a metal flashlight at the officers and one of them fired his gun three times.
Additional body cam footage shows Aponte being treated at the scene before he was taken to an area hospital. Aponte did survive the incident.
The El Paso County Sheriff's Office was called in to investigate the shooting and the District Attorney's Office will eventually decide whether the shooting was justified.
Apontes is facing a number of charges, including felony domestic violence and violating a protective order. These are both unrelated to the confrontation on March 13.
