The department released dashcam featuring a six-year veteran of the force keeping his cool during the almost two-minute showdown.
After pulling over the white Dodge truck for speeding on State Highway 46 last month, Officer Gus Jimenez and 22-year-old William Frederick Kirksey stopped near the intersection with Interstate 10.
While telling him to throw his keys out of the truck window, Kirksey complies and gets out. Unknown to Jimenez, Kirksey has an active warrant for possession of drug paraphernalia.
Kirksey yells at the officer twice for him to shoot him while refusing to get on the ground.
After the 17th command to get down, Kirksey appeared to reach for his waistband.
Chief Kevin Kelso wrote that the waistband is “where weapons are often carried and used against police officers.”
Despite the tense situation and facing a number of unknowns, Jimenez does not pull his trigger.
“He’s also trying to pay attention to see if there’s innocent civilians that are around the area, and he doesn’t want them to get hurt. Neither any of us would want anyone else to get hurt,” Contreras said.
Jimenez wasn’t available for an interview.
Kelso also wrote that officers “make mistakes,” often working, “under the toughest of circumstances.” He said the video shows training and professionalism, and he prays the attributes protect the life of both bystanders, the officer and “those that break the law.”