PPB releases officers body cam footage of shooting

Editor’s Note: This story includes a video of a man being shot by Portland police that may be disturbing for some viewers.

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — For the first time since Portland police officers began wearing body cameras , footage from an August officer-involved shooting was released to the public.

PPB Chief Bob Day first showed the body camera footage at a press conference. The video was then shared for the public to see on YouTube.

“The use of body-worn cameras provides a layer of transparency and accountability that will help inform what occurred at critical incidents,” Chief Day said. “We want to share what we can with the community as quickly as possible, but we also must be mindful of the balance between transparency and the need for a complete and careful investigation.”

The incident August 24 unfolded around 5:15 p.m. near 7600 North Portsmouth. The man, later identified as 52-year-old Robert D. Seeger, was said to be acting erratically and armed with a gun and a hammer when he was shot.

That day, witness Pedro Sanchez told KOIN 6 News the man was “coming in the middle to the road with the hands up and asking the cops, like, ‘shoot me.'”

The man kept hopping from behind cars and in-and-out of a nearby apartment, officials said.

In the video, an officer said, “Robert, this is Portland police. We don’t want to hurt you, but we need you to keep your hands up and visible or force could be used against you.”

A dog can be heard barking as police said, “He’s got the gun,” and opened fire.

“One of our officers deploys a non-lethal round, and then another officer follows with lethal rounds, and we hit this individual,” PPB spokesperson Mike Benner said that day.

Seeger continued to disobey commands, officials said, until a police K9 was sent in and took him into custody.

Officer Nicholas Morales, a five-year veteran of the bureau, continues to be on administrative leave as the investigation continues.

According to court documents released Monday afternoon, Seeger was charged with three counts of unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of menacing. He also faces charges of first-degree burglary and possessing a firearm as a felon.

The footage can we watched in the video player below:

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