By Caleb Lunetta
The San Diego Union-Tribune
SAN DIEGO — San Diego police launched video footage Monday of an officer fatally capturing a 32-year-old man who appeared suicidal and charged at police with a knife final month in Ocean Seaside.
Officer Yosgart Miranda shot and killed Jacob Epple after the officer acquired a report of a person confronting random neighborhood members and saying he wished to die on Could 31.
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Miranda has been a patrol officer for 2 years within the San Diego Police Division’s Western Division, officers mentioned.
The county Sheriff’s Workplace is dealing with the investigation below a reciprocal settlement with San Diego police so neither division investigates its personal officers or deputies.
The edited video released Monday contains Miranda’s body-worn digital camera footage in addition to textual content explaining the incident.
The video begins by saying that on the day of the capturing, dispatchers acquired a report round 9:10 a.m. of a person “standing in the course of the road subsequent to his automotive, blocking visitors” on Coronado Avenue close to Santa Barbara Road.
Earlier than officers arrive, textual content within the video says the person, later recognized as Epple, hops again into his black Mercedes and takes off. He then stops on the intersection of Coronado Avenue and Guizot Road, the place Epple has his first encounter with Miranda.
The video cuts to Miranda’s physique digital camera footage, which exhibits Epple telling the officer he desires to die earlier than pulling away in his automotive.
Miranda re-enters his police car and the pursuit begins, the video exhibits. It heads west, the place a crash happens at Sundown Cliffs Boulevard and Pescadero Drive.
Epple, who officers say was armed with a knife, exits his car and approaches the officer with the weapon, the video exhibits. Earlier than a confrontation happens, Epple hops again into his car once more and flees.
The pursuit then ends when a second collision happens on the intersection of Bermuda Avenue and Ebers Road , in keeping with the video.
A number of officers arrive on the scene, Epple exits his car once more and two officers use Tasers in an try and cease him.
The movies present officers giving him instructions to drop the knife, however Epple refuses.
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Epple holds the knife to his personal neck and approaches Mirdana with the knife nonetheless to his neck, the video exhibits.
“Kill me! Kill me!” Epple is heard saying whereas approaching the officer.
Epple turns round as extra Tasers make contact with him. He falls to the bottom subsequent to his crashed car.
Whereas mendacity on the bottom, Miranda warns Epple that he’ll shoot him except he complies with their orders. He tells the opposite officers to get far between them and the person.
“Depart me alone, I need to die. I’m about to slit my very own throat,” Epple says.
“He can’t drop (the knife) if he’s being Tased,” Miranda says to his fellow officers. He then tells the opposite officers to again up and provides him some area. Miranda then turns again to Epple.
“Comply with my orders and also you received’t get shot,” Miranda says.
“Shoot me, please,” Epple says as he stands up. He reaches again into his automotive to seize the knife that he had dropped, textual content within the video says.
The video then exhibits him cost towards Miranda with the knife in his hand. The officer fires his handgun thrice, putting Epple.
Epple falls to his knees and, between gunshots, he could be heard nonetheless speaking to the officers. They proceed to inform him to drop the knife earlier than they strategy and put the person in handcuffs.
Officers start performing life-saving measures till paramedics arrive, the video exhibits.
Epple was taken to a hospital, the place he died.
After the Sheriff’s Workplace completes its investigation, the District Lawyer’s Workplace will evaluate it, because it does all shootings involving regulation enforcement, to find out whether or not the officers bear any felony legal responsibility.
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