ROANOKE, Va. – On Monday, nearly five months after a Roanoke man was shot and killed by police, the Roanoke Police Department released bodycam footage of what happened.
Editor’s Note: 10 News edited the body cam footage from Officer Bourgeois to exclude the moment Moorman collapses after being shot and any image of him on the ground as officers rendered aid. You can view that below:
On June 25, 2020, 26-year-old Rasheed Moorman, was shot by a Roanoke City Police Officer and later died.
Earlier this month, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the city of Roanoke Donald Caldwell announced neither officer involved in the shooting would face any criminal charges.
Along with releasing Officer Bourgeois’ bodycam footage, the police department provided more information Monday about the day that Moorman was shot.
On June 25, a plain-clothes detective was in the area of Ashton Heights Apartments on an unrelated police investigation, when he saw two men who fit the descriptions of suspects from an earlier shooting, according to the police department.
That detective then called for uniformed officers, who arrived and approached the two suspects, who then ran away.
While running after them, Bourgeois saw one man, who would later be identified as Moorman, had a handgun in his right hand and Bourgeois yelled, “drop the gun,” according to police.
As the chase continued, police-worn body cameras and security cameras at the apartment complex show Moorman turning and firing at least four shots at Bourgeois, according to Caldwell.
Two of his shots went into an apartment in which there were two people.
It was at this point that Bourgeois fired 10 shots at Moorman, three of which hit him.
As Office Smith arrived to help Bourgeois, Moorman then began firing at him and Smith returned fire, according to police.
As soon as Moorman collapsed, the two began rendering first aid until a Roanoke EMS crew could arrive to take him to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital for treatment, according to Caldwell.
As part of Monday;’s press release announcing the release of the video, Police Chief Sam Roman gave this statement:
The taking of any human life is a tragedy and is reflected in the necessity of this statement. As the Police Chief I am tasked with ensuring the safety of both the officers in my department and the community which we serve. The incident you will observe in the video highlights the difficulty of striking a balance between officer and community safety. While it is clear that the individual in the video posed a significant threat to both the officers and the community, it is with empathy that I express condolences for the family of Mr. Moorman.
Despite the difficult circumstances officers often face, the Roanoke Police Department continues to work tirelessly to protect and positively interact with the citizens of Roanoke; in moments such as this, it is imperative that law enforcement and the community it serves come together to address the underlying social issues that contribute to these negative outcomes.
Roanoke Police Chief Sam Roman
On the day the shooting happened Roman held a news conference to provide a statement and answer questions: