Niagara Falls, N.Y. (WBEN) - Bodycam footage was released showing an officer shooting a suspect who was in violation of a protection order on Friday. After attempting to evade Niagara Falls Police officers and dodging a taser, the suspect lunged at an officer with a knife and then another officer drew his weapon and fired at the suspect.
According to the police, 29-year-old Reginald Barnes was on probation for sexual abuse, burglary and assault. The victim of Barnes has an order or protection against him and was seen in the victim's backyard Friday.
Niagara Falls Mayor, Robert Restaino, breaks down for WBEN what exactly happened.
"The suspect, tried to avoid and evade having a discussion with the police. As he began to flee, one of the officers on the scene deployed their taser, but it had no effect on the suspect. The suspect rather than continuing to move away, began to circle back toward the officer who had deployed the taser and began to reach into his left hand pocket. He pulled out a knife and then lunged at the police officer stabbing the police officer in the back at that point. The other officers had assumed their appropriate positions as they would based on their training. One of the officers seeing the stabbing attack, discharged their weapon. The suspect, then began to charge at yet another officer were at that officer discharged their weapon, the suspect, went down on the grassy area and then officers on the scene, administered first aid until emergency services came," the Mayor explained.
The suspect is still at ECMC in critical condition. The two officers who discharged their weapons were placed on administrative leave, per standard procedure. The officer stabbed was taken to the hospital that Friday and was discharged the same day.
Former Buffalo Police Captain and Vista Security Group partner Jeff Rinaldo said that the officers conducted themselves well in this situation.
"I think they did an excellent job. You see that they try to use open hand control techniques. Initially, while he's at the back of the car, he resists. He then attempts to run, they attempt to secure him. They attempt to utilize a less lethal device to deescalate, they deploy the taser. It was ineffective and that's when the suspect decided to produce a deadly weapon in attack a police officer leaving them absolutely no choice but to defend themselves using deadly physical force."
Rinaldo clearly identifies this situation as a clear use of deadly force.
"National studies have shown that the taser is only effective approximately less than 50% of the time that it's used. So after the deployment of the taser, you now see the suspect deploy a deadly weapon and he does not try to run away from the officers. Instead, he actually attacks the officer. That is a justifiable use of deadly physical force," Rinaldo said.
The Mayor agrees that the work done here was justified.
"The discharge of a weapon is probably the most serious thing that any one of the officers is trained to have to do and I think in this instance, once the officer was attacked with a knife and then when the suspect continued to attack yet another officer, I think that these officers really had no other alternative than to deploy that kind of action.
For the full remarks of Rinaldo and Mayor Restaino, see the players below:
