The Phoenix police department has released body camera footage of an officer who fatally shot a drunk driver following a struggle between the driver and another officer over a gun.
Phoenix police released the footage captured by the two officers. The first video depicts an officer and the driver attempting to seize a firearm, while the second video depicts an officer firing the fatal shot that killed 36-year-old Matthew Anthony Sansotta.
Here is the link to the shocking video.
On February 25, police in Phoenix, Arizona received reports of an impaired driver near the intersection of Central Avenue and Bell Road.
A concerned citizen called the police to report seeing a vehicle driving erratically on the road and the driver taking what appeared to be a sip from a liquor bottle while driving.
The person on the phone then followed the driver to an apartment complex nearby, where he awaited the arrival of officers, who discovered the male driver reclining in the parked vehicle. They discovered a bottle of alcohol and a rifle inside the car.
According to the officers, the man appeared intoxicated but was cooperative as they began questioning him. The officer then returned to the patrol car while the other officer searched the driver and located a handgun in his side door pocket.
A struggle ensued over the handgun after the man apparently made a sudden move to seize it. The man was able to grab the firearm. The driver collapsed following the second officer’s single gunshot. The officers attempted CPR but were unsuccessful; the man was declared deceased at a nearby hospital.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is currently investigating the fatal shooting. According to police, no officers sustained injuries during the chaos.
It was the third time in a week that Phoenix police officers fatally shot a suspect. The first two incidents occurred on the afternoon of February 22, on the same day.
This year, Phoenix Police Department officers have been involved in nine shootings, which officials attribute to an increase in violent crimes in the community.