Video footage of last week’s fatal police shooting in Southeast Portland shows an officer firing his gun, then continuing to demand the wounded man drop his gun for nine minutes while the man lay still on the ground.
Officer Zachary DeLong fatally shot Robert Delgado, 46, at Lents Park on Friday morning. Police were initially called to the park after someone reported a man was wielding a gun.
Investigators later determined Delgado’s gun was a replica. He died of a single gunshot wound.
The footage from bystander David Hernandez, which spans over 11 minutes, shows two police officers standing behind a tree with weapons trained on a man who’s initially out of frame. Officers repeatedly yell at the man to lay down on the ground and put his hands up.
The camera then shifts to Delgado, who’s about 90 feet away.
The footage captures Delgado shouting and dragging a large cloth or tarp, which he throws on the ground and walks away. About 40 seconds into the video, the two officers in view lift their weapons. Two loud noises — apparent gunshots — ring out shortly thereafter.
The video does not capture what Delgado was doing immediately prior to the shooting.
The footage shows police continuing to yell at Delgado over a loudspeaker during the next nine minutes, telling him to put his hands up.
“If you reach for the gun you may be shot with less lethal or lethal weapons,” police said.
The footage focuses on Delgado throughout the nine minutes. He does not appear to move, though radio transmissions indicate officers initially reported he was moving his right arm after DeLong shot him.
The video shows several officers eventually flanking a police car, which moves slowly toward Delgado. Then six officers crouch behind a shield and walk slowly toward him, with medics unsuccessfully trying to revive Delgado.
According to audio from dispatchers, DeLong said that prior to the shooting, a 911 caller reported that a man in the park was “acting like James Bond” and “like a cowboy” by doing “quick draws” with a gun but not pointing it at anyone.
Delgado, who suffered from anxiety and depression, had been “couch surfing” and living on the streets and in parks, according to court records and his family.
DeLong is now on administrative leave, which is standard practice after police shootings.
—Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR