ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) — Escondido Police have released body-worn camera footage showing the fatal shooting of a man with a metal pipe last week.
On April 21, Escondido officers were called to the area of Broadway and 2nd Ave. just before 7 a.m. to reports of a man hitting cars with what was described as a metal pole. An officer responded and made contact with the suspect, Steven Olson.
Police say the officer told Olson to drop the pole multiple times, but Olson refused and ended up fleeing the area. At that point, EPD said Olson, "was not displaying any threatening behaviors and he was not posing a physical threat to police or the public."
Watch the body-cam footage of the incident below (link):
A second officer came into contact with Olson minutes later at 2nd. Ave. and Broadway. That officer also made contact with Olson and told him multiple times to drop the metal pipe, police said.
Police say Olson continued to advance toward the officer, as he gave multiple commands for Olson to drop the objects. As Olson continued toward the officer, the officer fired several shots from his service weapon, police said.
EPD said the officer backed away about 65 feet before firing at Olson from about seven feet away. Olson was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The San Diego County District Attorney's Office, the U.S. Attorney's Office, and the FBI will review the shooting. The incident will also undergo an internal review.
