Disturbing footage of an officer firing 14 shots at a car, killing the driver, has been released by Little Rock Police Department in Arkansas as an investigation into the fatal incident gets underway.
Officer Charles Starks made a traffic stop on a stolen vehicle on February 22. According to a police report, the driver Bradley Blackshire did not comply with the officer’s instructions and drove his vehicle forward, hitting Starks.
At the beginning of the footage, Stark and the vehicle are not visible, but the officer can be heard ordering Blackshire to get out of the car.
The vehicle slowly comes into the frame along with Stark, who is pointing his gun at the driver as he walks backwards beside the passenger window.
He begins to fire at Blackshire, delivering five shots before he winds up on the hood of the car which continues to move slowly.
The footage includes scenes taken from a second police car which shows the moment it collides with Blackshire’s car, and the passenger side window shatters on impact.
Starks has been relieved of duty and an investigation currently underway will be reviewed by the FBI, Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. said before the video’s release.
“I understand that this video will be difficult to watch,” he said. “I understand that this incident will also invoke numerous amounts of emotions.”
The video was released after Blackshire’s family and fellow police officers requested it. Little Rock Police Department have reportedly been working to release the video since the incident occurred.
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