Police body camera footage released Thursday shows a bleeding and crying 17-year-old girl apologizing to the officer who shot her after the teen ran at him with a large knife in Southern California.
Oxnard Police Chief Scott Whitney described the May 3 confrontation in an edited video package posted online by his department.
An officer responding to reports of a girl causing a disturbance found her behind a fast food restaurant with a 12-inch (31-centimeter) kitchen knife in her pocket, Whitney says.
Officer Timothy Roberts’ camera records him warning the girl not to reach for the weapon.
“Why, what happens if I reach for it?” asks the girl, who’s wearing a red shirt, blue shorts and sneakers.
“Then something bad is going to happen,” Roberts says.
The camera shows him backing away from the teen in a parking lot while ordering her to drop the knife. The girl ignores his commands and keeps walking toward him.
When she suddenly begins running at Roberts with the knife in her right hand, he shoots her multiple times and she collapses.
Two officers are then shown providing medical aid to the girl as they wait for an ambulance.
“I’m so sorry,” the teen says while writhing on the pavement.
“It’s OK,” an officer responds.
The teen remains hospitalized Thursday in critical but stable condition, officials said.
Her face is obscured in the video because of her age.
The shooting is still under investigation, Whitney said.
The second officer arrived moments before the shooting and was preparing to use a beanbag weapon to try to subdue the girl, according to a police statement.
Roberts was placed on administrative leave after the shooting, in accordance with police policy. He has worked for the Oxnard Police Department since 2015 and was assigned to the patrol division in the city of 200,000 people about 60 miles (97 kilometers) west of Los Angeles.
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