VIDEO: CO Agency Releases Footage of August OIS Involving "Gang Member"

Nine months after a man who Pueblo Police say was a known gang member was shot and killed by officers during a tense confrontation, the department released body camera footage of the incident showing multiple vantage points.

The Pueblo Police Department chose to release the video publicly in light of a criminal justice records request, according to a news release that was distributed on Wednesday morning. The officers involved were cleared of any wrongdoing by the Pueblo County District Attorney's Office on Aug. 14. 

Pueblo Police say they were searching for the suspect, identified as 35-year-old Andrew Byrd, after a woman reported that he was armed and had stolen her vehicle the night of Feb. 4, 2017. He had several warrants for his arrest at the time, according to the Pueblo Police Department.

Officers stopped Byrd and here is the account of what happened during the shooting according to the department's news release.

“Mr. Byrd put his hands up. but then reached down to the console shifter and turned around to look back at Officer Whittemore. Mr. Byrd then disregarded officers’ commands and rapidly reversed the Camry, violently crashing into the front of Mr. Whittemore’s patrol vehicle and physically knocking Officer Whittemore, who was standing outside of his patrol vehicle behind the driver’s side door, backward.

“Mr. Byrd then turned into the direction of Officer Robison and accelerated. Officer Robinson stepped back and closed the driver’s door to his patrol vehicle, with the back of his body against the patrol vehicle. Officer Robinson aimed his duty firearm at Mr. Byrd and tracked him as he drove toward Officer Robinson. As Mr. Byrd drove by Officer Robinson, Officer Robison fired one shot into the driver’s side window of the Camry. The shot killed Mr. Byrd. Another officer on scene, Officer Bernadette Lambert, fired her duty firearm but did not strike Mr. Byrd.”