MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. — The St. Louis County Police Department on Friday released footage of the fatal police shooting of a man outside a Dave & Buster's in early December.
A "critical incident briefing" regarding the Dec. 7 shooting was posted to the department's YouTube channel on Friday. It begins with a statement from the department, followed by a police narrative of the incident interspersed with police radio recordings and security and dash camera footage.
Police identified the man who was killed as 48-year-old Mark Davenport of Rolla.
The incident happened shortly after 4 p.m. outside the Dave and Buster's at 13857 Riverport Drive, when detectives with the Maryland Heights Police Department were searching for a suspect involved in multiple criminal incidents around St. Louis County.
St. Louis County police Sgt. Tracy Panus said in the briefing that officers had received a tip that Davenport was in the area and "had made statements that he would not go back to jail."
The detectives saw Davenport leave the Dave & Buster's and confronted him.
As officers were trying to arrest him, he did not comply, police said. He pulled out an "edged weapon" and charged at officers, telling the detectives that they would have to shoot him, Panus said.
One of the detectives fired his weapon and hit Davenport. Officers began treating Davenport's injuries, and he was subsequently transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, Panus said.
The officers involved in the shooting were not wearing body cameras. Police released dash camera footage from the patrol car of an assisting Maryland Heights officer who arrived at the scene directly after the shooting.
The video, which has no audio, shows two detectives pointing their guns at Davenport, whose blurred figure is lying on the ground.
The officer who shot Davenport was a 46-year-old man with 14 years of law enforcement experience, police said.
The contents of the above video may be upsetting. The video may be viewed on the St. Louis County Police Department's YouTube page.
