‘He’s My Dad’: Horrified 8-Year-Old Watches As Step-Dad Is Fatally Shot By Police After Pulling Gun

Video footage captures the moment an eight-year-old watched his stepfather get fatally shot by a California police officer after the man pulled a loaded gun on officers.

A Quality Inn employee called police on March 8 around 4:44 a.m. to report a young child that was barefoot and wearing shorts wandering alone in the parking lot. The caller told police dispatch the child was “out there in the cold and hugging his pillow,” a transcript of the call released by Burbank Police revealed.

Burbank Police responded to the scene around 5:00 a.m., according to police.

The child, later identified as an eight-year-old, told a responding officer his stepdad, later identified as 30-year-old David William Kahler, was going to get the car.

Police said Kahler and the child had been involved in a car crash in a vehicle thought to have been stolen from Las Vegas. The duo then walked to the hotel, Burbank Police Lt. Derek Green said. Kahler then left the child at the hotel and allegedly attempted to break into another car, according to Green, which was corroborated with video footage.

Kahler managed to steal a Honda Accord, which he then drove back to the hotel, Green said.

Responding officers located the child sitting alone in the parking garage, and the child told officers his dad was “gonna go get a car.” (RELATED: Officer Facing Manslaughter Charges For Fatal Shooting Seen Fatally Shooting Different Person Wielding Knife)

As Kahler returns to the Quality Inn, bodycam and surveillance footage shows the child entering the car as two officers approach the vehicle. Bodycam footage shows Kahler pointing a handgun toward one of the officers as the child gets into the car.

“He’s my dad!” the child tells officers, before one officer fires three shots, striking Kahler, video footage shows. The gun was later determined to be a 9mm loaded handgun, Green said.

The child can be heard screaming “Stop!” as officers then command Kahler to put his hands up.

“He’s my dad! Stop!” the child can be heard screaming as officers try to pull him out of the way.

Kahler was taken to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead. The child was taken into protective custody, according to Green.

Green said Kahler had a criminal past including incidents involving assault, theft and weapons charges.

The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.