By Ashley Silver
Police1
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office released bodycam footage from a fatal officer-involved shooting last month, which shows a suspect opening fire on officers who were conducting a burglary investigation involving a smartwatch.
According to First Coast News, officers had received a physical description of a burglary suspect who fled on a bicycle after stealing the watch on January 20. The victim was able to track their stolen watch and provided police with the suspect’s coordinates. Officers eventually located Leon Burroughs, 39, who was living in his car on his grandmother’s property.
In the video, Burroughs appears to be asleep as officers make their way to the vehicle. They immediately notice there is a firearm on top of the car, which they remove and store safely.
Officers then proceed to open the door to the unlocked car and attempt to talk to Burroughs, who appears to have just woken up. They tell him to put his hands up and exit the car.
Burroughs responds by telling the officers that their flashlights are “blinding” him, so the officers move their flashlights and continue to request that the man step out of the vehicle. Burroughs still refuses and complains about the police flashlights.
“Get out or I’m gonna pull you out,” one officer says in the video.
The officer can then be heard asking Burroughs to “let me see your hands one more time” before Burroughs manages to fire a shot at the police on the scene. Five officers returned fire.
“Shots fired at police,” one officer yells as he retreats, telling dispatch he has been hit. The officer was grazed in the face by the suspect’s bullet. Officials said the officers moved to a safe place to treat the officer’s injuries. When they returned to the scene, they found Burroughs fatally wounded inside the car.
An investigation into the shooting is underway.