VIDEO: Baltimore PD Releases Only Partial Body Cam Video of Fatal OIS
Baltimore police allowed the media to see police body camera video of the fatal shooting of a hostage suspect. Only a portion of the video is being released publicly Tuesday because police don’t want to further traumatize the two children who police said were held at knifepoint by Reno Owens Jr. on Friday, reports WBAL.
In the video, Baltimore police Officer Zachary Wein ended Friday’s hostage situation when he was given a shoot-to-kill order by his supervisor: “I want you to walk in there and kill this guy. He is highly agitated, has a knife at the kids’ throats. There’s no need for less lethal.”
The command came after a tense 30-minute negotiation between police and Owens, 39.
In the body camera video shown to the media, Owens is seen sitting on a bed holding the two children, ages 1 and 4, on his lap. A 12-inch knife can be seen in his hand.
With the children screaming and calling for their father, who was not there, Owens sings, “Rock a Bye Baby,” before saying, “You had to rock the cradle, cuz. Ain’t gonna be no tomorrow.”
Police say: “We just want to talk to you, OK? We don’t want to hurt anybody.”
Owens responded: “I’d rather go out like this.”
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