By Police1 Staff
CAMPBELL, Calif. — A video of an officer pointing a gun at a passenger during a traffic stop has gone viral, but police say the video doesn’t show the full story.
An officer pulled over a vehicle for speeding last week and asked for a driver’s license and additional paperwork, KTVU reported.
The officer said the driver and passenger spent several minutes searching for the paperwork until the passenger reached under the seat. Police officials said that’s when the officer determined there was a threat and drew his gun.
The Facebook video, which has been viewed over 1.5 million times, starts after the officer draws his weapon.
https://www.facebook.com/LOLO.FEO.TRIPLEXHOGGS/videos/1577636055582924/
Throughout the nearly nine minute video, the passenger can be heard asking why the officer has his weapon pointed at him because his hands are in the officer’s view. The officer said he’s waiting for backup and asks the passenger to calm down. The passenger continues to ask why the gun is pointed at him.
“We understand that it is never a comfortable position to have a gun pointed at you, regardless of whether it is a police officer,” Campbell police PIO Gary Berg said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the length of time that the officer’s gun was drawn lasted much longer than normal based on his location. If this same situation would have occurred closer to back-up officers, it would most likely have been resolved much sooner.”
When backup arrived, both the driver and passenger were issued citations and were allowed to leave.