California police released bodycam footage Monday showing the moment one officer fatally shot a man who was reportedly holding a child hostage.
The incident unfolded Jan. 13 at around 11:44 a.m., when a woman called the Merced County Sheriff’s Office to report her boyfriend, Adolfo Cruz, was armed with a knife and was holding their five-year-old son hostage. Cruz also allegedly set a fire in the apartment and assaulted the unidentified woman.
“The father of my children just beat me and he’s holding my five-year-old … he has my five-year-old inside the house and doesn’t let him go,” the woman told police dispatch before she apparently noticed Cruz set the apartment on fire, according to newly released audio of the 911 call.
The woman then said Cruz had a kitchen knife and a “crack pipe” that he was “hitting” in front of the child.
Authorities arrived on scene and attempted to negotiate with Cruz to drop the knife, but Cruz refused. Video shows officers asking Cruz to at least let the five-year-old come out of the home, with Cruz still refusing.
“You don’t want him to be there, just let your kid come out,” one officer can be heard saying.
“No, I do,” Cruz said as he leaned out the window, the footage shows. (RELATED: Bodycam Footage Shows Suspect Open Fire On Cop Before Partner Drops Him Instantly)
An officer then asked Cruz what his plans were and he said, “I’m going to kill me and my kid honestly,” according to the footage.
Cruz repeatedly said he didn’t want to go to prison. A crisis negotiator arrived on scene and visibly tried to deescalate the situation. Cruz then closed the window before returning with a knife in hand.
Authorities asked Cruz to drop the knife, with one officer firing a single shot when Cruz still refused to listen, the video shows. Police were then able to rescue the child.
Officers recovered a 13-inch knife inside the house, and Cruz was pronounced dead on scene, according to the sheriff’s office.