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Newly released body camera footage captures the harrowing moments before a Connecticut police officer shot and killed a man who authorities say refused repeated orders to stop attacking another person with a baseball bat.
The incident unfolded on the morning of July 19 in Meriden, Connecticut, after officers responded to reports of an active domestic violence situation at a home on Sagamore Road.
According to investigators, Officer Anthony Offiaeli arrived to find Robert Lee Jenkins III, 38, repeatedly hitting a motionless man with a baseball bat (via TMZ).
Body camera footage released by the Connecticut Office of Inspector General shows Offiaeli pointing his gun at Jenkins while repeatedly yelling, “Put the damn bat down!”
Authorities say the officer issued the order four times as Jenkins allegedly continued the attack. He also radioed for backup and urged responding officers to “step forward” before opening fire.
Investigators later identified the victim as Robert Jenkins Jr., 69, the suspect’s father.
According to the preliminary report, Robert Jenkins Jr. suffered catastrophic blunt force injuries to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. His death has been ruled a homicide.
Robert Lee Jenkins III was transported to a hospital, where he later died from multiple gunshot wounds. His death was also classified as a homicide under Connecticut’s legal definition of deaths caused by another person.
The images released are graphic and show the suspect continuing to swing the bat even after the officer begins shooting. Reports indicate that Offiaeli fired nearly 20 bullets before the assault finally stopped.
As is standard procedure after an officer-involved shooting, the Connecticut Office of Inspector General is investigating the use of deadly force.
Connecticut State Police are handling a separate investigation into the underlying domestic violence homicide.
Authorities have not released any information about what may have led to the fatal confrontation between father and son.
The body camera footage quickly gained widespread attention online because it documents the officer’s repeated attempts to end the attack before resorting to deadly force.
Authorities have not announced when the investigations will end.
We will have more updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
