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City of Vallejo releases surveillance video of fatal police shooting
The city of Vallejo has released surveillance video from last November of a fatal police shooting of a man by an off-duty Richmond police sergeant.
VALLEJO, Calif. - The city of Vallejo released surveillance video on Tuesday that shows a fatal officer-involved shooting from last November.
The security camera video shows the fatal shooting of Eric Reason, 38, of Vallejo by an off-duty police sergeant from Richmond, Sgt. Virgil Thomas.
The deadly encounter took place outside of a restaurant. It was apparently after a dispute over a parking space.
Reason appears to have brief, but heated discussion with the off-duty sergeant. Then Reason can be seen retrieving a gun from underneath the hood of his van before walking back to Thomas with the gun in his hand.
The two men exchange words again. This time as Reason turns back toward his van, Sgt. Thomas can be seen drawing a weapon from the belt of his pants and opening fire.
The incident remains under investigation.
Sgt. Thomas had previously said he shot Reason because he posed a threat to himself, his wife who was in the car and other patrons at the shopping complex.
Thomas' attorney Justin Buffington said in a statement that Reason boxed his client's car in and then went to retrieve the gun before confronting the sergeant and his wife.
"Once Reason realized that he had attempted to attack someone capable of protecting himself, he ran through the parking lot, still armed with his pistol, in what reasonably appeared to be an effort to obtain a position of tactical advantage from which to shoot at Sgt. Thomas," Buffington said.
An attorney for Reason's family has said Reason was shot in the back of his head while, "running for his life."