The actual shooting comes near the very end of the 7-minute surveillance video. It is graphic and may be unsettling for some.
What it purports to show is Lakeland, Florida City Commissioner Michael Dunn shooting dead a man who appears on surveillance video to have put a small ax or similar under his shirt in Dunn’s military surplus store.
The video shows Dunn pulling on Lopez’ shirt as he ties to leave the store with what may be a small hatchet he appeared to have put under his shirt in the first few moments of the released video. Lopez pulls away. Dunn fires and appears to have hit Lopez in the chest. He falls out the door and writhes on the ground as Dunn still has the handgun aimed. There’s no audio but police said 50-year-old Cristobel Lopez had suffered “gunshot wounds.”
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Police reported that on On Oct. 3 shortly after 2:30 p.m. officers responded to the Vets Army Navy Surplus store, located at 819 North Florida Ave. and found Lopez at the entrance of the store with gunshot wounds. Lopez was declared dead by emergency medical professionals shortly after they arrived on scene.
According to statements, police said, “Lopez entered the store with his father. As his father was making a purchase, store owner Dunn saw Lopez taking and concealing a hatchet, before trying to exit the store. Dunn stopped Lopez asking him if he was going to pay for the item and a confrontation ensued. Dunn then fired his weapon, striking Lopez who was still in possession of the hatchet. In addition to Lopez ’s father and Dunn, detectives interviewed two store employees working at the time.”
At the time, a police spokesman said based on witness statements, “Dunn stopped Lopez asking him if he was going to pay for the item and a confrontation ensued.” The video shows this: Dunn tries to stop Lopez and then shoots him.
The criminal investigation into the incident is ongoing in partnership with the State Attorney’s Office and Medical Examiner. Additional information will be released as it becomes available, police said.
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