WESTMINSTER, COLORADO: The Westminster Police Department (WPD) has released body camera footage of the moment when a police officer shot and killed a woman after claiming she reached for a gun.
Authorities noted that Alysha Duran, 46, was shot after 4:40 pm on July 25, when the officer, only identified as N Adams noticed her SUV parked and facing the wrong direction on 88th Avenue at Lamar Drive.
The SUV was facing westbound in the eastbound lanes of the road, said Police spokesperson Cheri Spottke, according to 9 News. Following the incident, Duran was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Who was Alysha Duran?
Not much is known about 46-year-old Alysha Duran but officials claimed that she owned a silver SUV. As per the bodycam footage, Adams approached Duran arriving at a bizarre situation where her SUV was parked on the road, facing another vehicle.
After conversing with another driver, the officer then approached Duran as she sat stone-faced in her car alone. When he asked her to roll down her window, she appeared to disregard him and took a few seconds before finally complying, according to Daily Mail.
Duran then grabbed her pendant necklace and started caressing it as the officer tried to ask her if she was okay and what she was doing on the road. The situation took an unexpected turn when the officer spotted a gun next to her.
Why did Officer N Adams shoot Alysha Duran?
''After several attempts to speak with the driver, she produced a handgun,'' Westminster Police said in a statement accompanying the bodycam footage.
''What have you got in there? What have you got in there? Oh f***,'' the officer can be heard screaming after discovering the firearm.
The officer then began yelling at Duran before grabbing his own and rushing around the back of her car, a common technique used by police to increase the distance between themselves and perceived danger.
After pausing for only a few seconds, the officer opened fire, smashing the rear driver's side window and hitting Duran. The bullet passed through her and ended up in the windshield of an innocent bystander’s car.
Spottke confirmed in a statement that a gun was later found in Duran’s car. The officer was not injured during the incident.
Adams was later placed on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated, per department policy.
''We understand incidents of this nature deeply affect our citizens, family members, and employees,'' the department's statement said.
''We understand the concerns that arise after an officer-involved shooting. It is important to remember these situations are complex and often involve tough-split-second decisions made by our officers,’' it continued.
