A man who had his arms raised in the air was fatally shot by Bexar County, Texas, deputies in San Antonio, a video obtained by KSAT shows.
The video above shows the moments leading up to the shooting and pauses the frame right before the actual shooting. The unedited video can be watched here.
The video, taken by a bystander, Michael Thomas, shows the shooting of 41-year-old Gilbert Flores by deputies Greg Vasquez and Robert Sanchez on Friday, August, 28. The unedited video was posted online Monday.
The video appears to show Flores with his arms raised while not armed, but the sheriff’s office has said he was armed with a knife when deputies arrived. It’s not clear if he had the knife at the time of the shooting.
Vasquez and Sanchez have been placed on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated, according to KSAT.
A video obtained by KSAT shows deputies in San Antonio, Texas, shooting a man who had his arms raised in the air. (Screengrab via KSAT)
The shooting happened after a domestic incident, KSAT reported. A woman was injured before police arrived.
Sheriff Susan Pamerleau said on deputies struggled with Flores for 20 minutes and tried to take him into custody using a Taser and shield, the San Antonio Express-News reported. Eventually, Vasquez and Sanchez opened fire, and Flores was struck at least once. Flores was pronounced dead at the scene.
The sheriff’s department criticized KSAT for posting the video, saying on Facebook:
Today, members of our local media chose to broadcast online unedited video of a man’s death. KSAT 12 paid a neighbor who filmed the tragedy $100 for the exclusive rights to the video. As a result, people from outside our community have bombarded us with inappropriate comments, and today, physical threats toward our deputies. These deputies have not been charged with a crime and a family lost their loved one. This is unethical and sad. Call KSAT and let them know what you think – (210) 351-1277. If you agree, let the local media know this sort of sensational behavior doesn’t fly in Bexar County.
The video was first posted online by the news station on Friday, but was edited to stop at the moment of the shooting. They decided to post the full video online Monday.
