Fort Collins Police Release Body Camera Footage From Officer-Involved Shooting
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) – Fort Collins Police Services and Colorado State University Police released body-camera video from a shooting that took place in July of 2017. The shooting took place near the Colorado State University campus, along Prospect.
Jeremy Holmes was killed in the shooting after two officers opened fire. Both were wearing body cameras, though they served in different departments.
The shooting took place after Holmes' mother, Susan, called 911 to report her son was suicidal. In a 911 tape released by the departments, Susan Holmes said her son had just left her home with a knife, which he intended to use to kill his brother and sister-in-law. Both lived on campus.
"My son, Jeremy, has just left the house, and he said he is going to go kill my other son," Susan Holmes told a dispatch operator with the City of Fort Collins. "He said he is going to charge the police, so he will die today."
Susan Holmes later told dispatch her son promised she would lose at least one of her sons that night.
Fort Collins Police dispatch transferred the call to Colorado State University dispatch, who was already working on staging officers near the dormitory the brother lived in.
A CSU officer located Jeremy Holmes walking west on Prospect. When he exited his police car to confront him, Jeremy started walking towards him with a large knife in his hand. Holmes is heard asking the officer to kill him several times. The officer continued to ask Holmes to drop the weapon while telling him he had options other than to attack an officer.
As the CSU officer backpedaled more than 100 feet, as Holmes followed him, a Fort Collins Police vehicle is seen driving down the road. The vehicle is running code, meaning the lights and sirens are on.
Fort Collins Interim Police Chief Terry Jones said his officer was responding to an unrelated call when she passed the CSU officer holding a suspect at gunpoint.
In the video, it is audible when the female officer recognized the situation, as her tires are heard squealing as she turns around.
She exited her vehicle, also commanding Holmes to drop the firearm. When the male CSU officer attempted to switch from lethal force, to a Taser, Holmes lunged at him with the knife.
Holmes was shot six times, both officers fired. One officer fired four shots, the other fired two.
Police said Holmes was suffering from mental issues. His mother told CBS4, after the investigation, her son was having a suicidal reaction to THC.
"The officer was doing everything he could to de-escalate," said CSU Police Chief Scott Harris.
Harris applauded Fort Collins' Erin Mast, as she went out of her way to provide backup to a fellow law enforcement officer. Both Harris and Jones said Mast may have helped save the CSU officer's life.
"If you notice on Officer Mast's video, just how close Mr. Holmes got to that CSU (police) officer, it was surprising the threat stopped as fast as it did," Jones said.
Jones said it was unfortunate someone had to lose their life in this situation. However, both chiefs agreed, both officers were justified in their actions, and the video is there to prove it.
"Mr. Holmes made that choice, to charge that officer first. And, the officers had to protect themselves," Jones said.
In a statement to CBS4, Susan Holmes said her son was a brilliant, and insightful person, who graduated high school with honors. Jeremy Holmes was designing a video game at the time of his death.
Susan Holmes said she was given the opportunity to view the body camera video. Police said her son, and daughter-in-law also watched the videos.
Dillon Thomas is a reporter at CBS4 and a Colorado native. He believes everyone has a story, and would love to share yours! You can find more of his stories by following him on Twitter, @DillonMThomas.
