ARLINGTON, Texas, Aug. 11 (UPI) — Police in Arlington, Texas fought back rumors Monday about the fatal shooting of Texas teen, Christian Taylor.
Arlington police (APD) uploaded a Youtube video that features unedited police dispatch recordings from Aug. 7, when 49-year-old police officer Brad Miller fatally shot 19-year-old Angelo State University athlete Christian Taylor after Taylor crashed an SUV into a local dealership. The recordings challenge claims that Taylor was shot within a second of APD officers making contact with him by showing that nearly two minutes transpire between officers’ sighting of Taylor and his shooting.
Police were responding to a burglary call at the Classic Buick GMC dealership when they spotted Taylor. Although the APD does not use body cameras, the department reported that it is in the process of implementing them. In the interim, police are usingsecurity camera footage that videotaped the incident. The burglary call was issued by a security company that was monitoring Taylor via the cameras.
The surveillance video shows Taylor wandering around the lot, attempting to open locked cars and ultimately driving his SUV through the front of the showroom. Shortly after police arrived, they spotted Taylor and instructed him to lie on the ground. Taylor did not comply and ran to the southwest portion of the building where he tried to escape through a glass door. After a confrontation ensued, Miller fired his gun four times while his training officer fired his taser.
The APD has assured the public that a thorough investigation will be carried out. In the meantime, Miller has been placed on administrative leave. Arlington mayor Jeff Williams extended his condolences to Taylor’s family.
