Video: Colorado police arrest gunman who pistol-whipped woman

By Lauren Penington

Source The Denver Post

The man shot and killed by Colorado Springs police officers while fleeing on foot earlier this month struck a woman in the face with a gun in the downtown area before pointing it at another man, security footage released Thursday shows.

Around 12:48 a.m. on Sunday, June 9, three officers from the Colorado Springs Police Department’s Downtown Response Team were on foot patrol along South Nevada Avenue when they heard a disturbance in the street, according to a video briefing released Thursday by the department.

As a police officer – identified by the Colorado Springs Police Department as Benjamin Hengel – headed toward the disturbance, he saw a woman fall to the ground and pulled out his stun gun, the department’s spokesman said. police, Joe Frabbiele, in the video.

Another man chasing the suspect suddenly stopped and raised his hands, Frabbiele said. When Hengel went to walk around the man, Hengel saw the suspect point a gun at him and drew his department-issued handgun.

Security footage taken at a nearby building before the shooting shows the suspect – 21-year-old Al’Morion Germany – walking away from a woman as the two have what appears to be a verbal disagreement.

In the video, Germany points what appears to be a gun at the woman before hitting her in the face with it, knocking her to the ground.

Germany turns to run and is quickly followed by three Colorado Springs police officers, including Hengel, security footage shows.

Footage from Hengel’s body camera shows officers yelling at Germany to drop the weapon, following him onto South Nevada Street and continuing the chase around the corner onto Pikes Peak Avenue when Germany ignored police commands to stop.

Frabbiele said Germany ran toward a parking lot where, as officers knew, there was typically a lot of foot traffic at that time of night.

As Hengel rounded the corner, he fired three shots at Germany, hitting the man twice, body camera footage shows. The man continued running after being shot and was taken into custody in the 100 block of East Pikes Peak Avenue.

Officers provided medical aid until paramedics arrived and Germany was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Frabbiele said.

Frabbiele said a loaded 10mm Glock pistol was found near where Germany was hit, but did not confirm that the weapon belonged to Germany. The 21-year-old was arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office are investigating the shooting and will determine whether Hengel’s use of force was justified.

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