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Video Appears to Show Texas Police Open Fire After Man Raises Arms to Surrender

Police released the footage and an audio recording of a 911 call two days after a grand jury declined to indict the officers involved in the incident.
Image via YouTube/Bexar County Sheriff's Office

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New footage of a fatal police shooting in Texas that appears to show a man surrendering with his arms up as officers open fire was released two days after a grand jury declined to indict the cops involved in the incident.

On Friday, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office released bystander video of the deadly August 28 confrontation with 41-year-old Gilbert Flores, as well as an audio recording of the 911 call that brought police to the scene.

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The video, which was shot from a neighbor's window across the street, shows a residential home flanked by police cars. When Flores enters the frame, a male voice on the video whispers, "He's got a knife in his hand." In an earlier video of the shooting, which was obtained and released by local media outlet KSAT-12 in September, it wasn't clear whether Flores had a knife or not, because his arm was obstructed by a telephone pole.

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Flores appears to be holding a knife in the new video, as well as a folded chair that he uses as a shield. A male voice on the video notes that police apparently failed to subdue Flores with their Taser devices. As Flores' behavior becomes increasingly brazen in the face of armed deputies, a female voice on the video says, "I think he wants to die."

Around two minutes later, Flores approaches the police car. The male voice on the video says Flores has a knife. Seconds later, Flores turns around with his arms raised above his head. A police radio crackles, then gunshots can be heard and Flores falls to the ground.

The sheriff's office says the incident began when they received a report of a domestic disturbance northwest of San Antonio at around 11:30am. "My son. He's gone crazy. He might be on drugs but I'm not sure," a distressed woman says on the 911 call. "He beat up his wife and now she's bleeding." She continues to describe Flores' behaviour. "He's breaking everything in the room," she says. "And he's got a knife."

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In the background of the call, a man, presumably Flores, can be heard saying, "I've got a knife and I'm gonna suicide by a cop. So you better bring a SWAT team or whatever. Gonna get ready to pull the trigger because I'm going to die today."

Police said they initially withheld the second video showing the moment that Flores was shot, as well as the audio recording, because the items were being used as evidence in their investigation.

Vasquez and Sanchez were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. On Wednesday, Bexar County Sheriff Susan Pomerleau said that Flores' actions were the sole cause of the shooting, and that Vasquez and Sanchez look forward to returning to work.

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Flores' family intends to pursue the civil lawsuit that they filed against the deputies and the sheriff's office, claiming that within a second of Flores surrendering, Vasquez and Sanchez fired shots at him, "executing him on the front lawn of his parents' home."

Follow Tess Owen on Twitter: @misstessowen