By Zach Thaxton KOAA News 5
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – Colorado Springs Police released video Tuesday of a deadly officer-involved shooting from June 22. Josiah Williams, 25, was shot and killed by Officer William Watson, a 25-year veteran of CSPD. Video released by Chief Pete Carey aims to affirm the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s judgment that the shooting was justified use of deadly force.
Officer Watson responded to reports of an intoxicated man carrying a beer and holding a gun near the 7-Eleven at Hancock Expressway and Delta Drive. When Watson arrived, Williams appeared to ignore commands to put the gun down, briefly bending down as though he were going to set the gun down, but then standing back upright and walking toward Watson, who had taken a cover position behind his police cruiser. The 37-second video, recorded by a nearby bystander, then shows Williams apparently trying to pull the trigger. When the gun did not fire, Officer Watson fired a taser at Williams. Williams appears to jump and evade the taser, then appears to fire a shot in Officer Watson’s direction. Watson then returns fire. The video then shows the videographer and another bystander ducking behind a vehicle. When the gunfire subsides and the bystanders emerge from behind the vehicle, Williams is seen in a reclined seated position, wounded by Officer Watson’s gunfire.
Williams later succumbed to his injuries. An autopsy revealed Williams had been shot in the abdomen. He has alcohol and methamphetamine in his system at the time of his death.
“When you see the video, you can see this is an officer who spent time trying to talk this suspect out of the weapon,” said Lieutenant Howard Black, Colorado Springs Police spokesperson. “The weapon was continued to be pointed at the officer. This officer used incredible restraint in not shooting that weapon earlier in this event.”
