Video of the moments before the murder of Flagstaff Police officer Tyler Stewart while he was responding to a domestic violence call last month were released today. The suspect, Robert Smith, killed himself immediately after shooting and killing Stewart.
Flagstaff Police released the footage captured by Officer Stewart’s body camera. The video shows Officer Stewart arriving at a home in the neighborhood of West Clay Avenue in Flagstaff on the afternoon of Saturday December 27. The 24-year-old officer is greeted at the door by 28-year-old Robert Smith. Officer Stewart calmly questions Smith about what happened between him and his girlfriend. Stewart asks Smith if he has a weapon and asks to search him.
Smith immediately pulls out a gun, and Stewart’s hands go up as if to signal “don’t shoot.”
Flagstaff Police report that the rest of the video reveals the sound of three gunshots and the camera goes to the ground, according to Fox News 10. “Then three more shots from Smith’s .22-caliber handgun and the body camera moves slightly all within a four second time frame. After the six shots there is nine seconds of silence on the video followed by what investigators believe is the sound officer Stewart’s service weapon cycling, reports Fox News 10.
Investigators say officer Stewart had no time to fire his service weapon.