The New Orleans Police Department today released video footage of the incident where officers shot a man at the corner of Bourbon and St. Louis streets last month. The footage comes from security cameras in the area, the dashboard camera of one of the officers, and their body-worn cameras.
"At 7:26 a.m. on January 25, NOPD received multiple calls of an intoxicated subject pointing a firearm at random individuals in the area of Bourbon and St. Louis streets," police said in a statement. "People fleeing the scene flagged down responding officers and directed them to the armed subject, later identified as 25-year-old Austin Bentel, who was heard and observed to be screaming and shouting profanities as he walked along the street."
As NOPD officer Ryeisha Warren pulls up in her marked police vehicle, Bentel is seen pulling back the slide on a semi-automatic pistol and pointing it straight at the driver's side of the windshield, then coming around to the driver's side of the car while still pointing the gun at the driver's seat. Moments later, Bentel collapsed to the ground.
As this is happening, three other officers rush to the scene on foot. All four officers fired on the suspect, firing a total of 15 shots.
"As shown in the video, officers had little time to react other than to defend themselves against the aggressive actions of this perpetrator," NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said.
Police recovered a 9mm pistol from Bentel. Footage showed him pulling the trigger, but the gun never fired. It turned out that Bentel did not load the weapon.
Bentel is recovering in the hospital and faces several charges upon being discharged. The four officers remain on administrative duty while the investigation continues.
