Newly released body camera footage reveals the tense moments leading to a fatal officer-involved shooting in California, where a man drew a weapon on sheriff’s deputies.
On August 7th, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call about a disturbance at a Chevron gas station in Carson. The caller, a store clerk, reported a man, later identified as 34-year-old Arturo Cernas, causing a scene by yelling at the gas pumps and refusing to leave.
Body camera footage shows deputies arriving at the gas station and confronting Cernas
Arriving at the scene, officers immediately noticed what appeared to be the handle of a handgun protruding from Cernas’s pocket.
“Hey, hey, put your hands up! Put your hands up! What is it? Put your hands… What is it? Hey, listen, hey bro, put your hands up, hey!” an officer can be heard saying in the body camera footage.
Despite repeated commands to comply and get on the ground, Cernas remained uncooperative. The situation escalated when he reached into his pockets and backpack. Although officers’ views were partially obscured as they took cover, their urgent calls for Cernas to stop reaching are audible in the video.
“Hey, put your hands on your hood! Hey, sir, in the car! Hey, you wanna back up? Yeah. Hey, stop reaching in your pocket! No, keep your hands on there, on your head! No, keep your hands on your head! Leave your phone alone! Stop reaching!”
Tragically, the encounter turned deadly when Cernas reached for the weapon in his back pocket. Officers responded with force, one deploying a less-lethal 40-millimeter weapon and another firing a department-issued firearm seconds later.
Security camera footage shows the moment Cernas reaches for the weapon in his back pocket
Medical aid was administered to Cernas at the scene, but he succumbed to his injuries before reaching the hospital. A BB pistol resembling a real gun was recovered from the scene.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Unit and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office are conducting a thorough investigation into the shooting.
