By Joanna Putman
Police1
BELOIT, Wisc. — Body camera video released by the Beloit Police Department shows a man running at a bystander with two swords before being fatally shot by an officer, Channel 3000 News reported.
The officer-involved shooting occurred on April 28 when officers were called to the same location twice to respond to reports of a man acting erratically, according to the report.
Body camera video shows Officer Nicholas Rodenbeck speaking with 911 callers, informing them that officers were working to avoid a potentially deadly confrontation with the suspect, who he said was “in crisis.”
“Property can be replaced, but somebody’s life can’t be replaced,” Rodenbeck said to the callers, who were seated in a vehicle.
After speaking with the occupants of the vehicle for several minutes, the suspect emerged from behind a home with a sword in each hand. The suspect appeared to be yelling at either the officers or the 911 callers as he approached them aggressively.
The suspect repeatedly ignored Rodenbeck’s instructions to drop the swords and yelled at the officers. After the man appeared to threaten one of the callers and began walking toward their vehicle, Rodenbeck fired several shots, bringing the man to the ground.
Officers rendered medical aid to the suspect until EMS personnel arrived to transport him to the hospital. He was pronounced deceased shortly after arrival at the hospital, according to the report.
The Rock County District Attorney announced on June 20 that Rodenbeck was found to have been acting lawfully in the officer-involved shooting.
“I stand firmly by Officer Rodenbeck and his commitment to upholding the law and protecting the residents of our community,” Beloit Police Chief Andre Sayles stated in a Facebook post. “Our officers are trained to make split-second decisions under extreme pressure, and in this instance, Officer Rodenbeck’s actions were necessary to prevent harm.”