CRAWFORD COUNTY (KFSM) -- Van Buren police released new dash cam audio and video on Thursday(Aug. 30) that shows the moments leading up to a deadly officer-involved shooting from earlier this month.
Police responded to a domestic disturbance call on Granite Circle on August 5th.
“You never know what's going to happen,” explained Van Buren Police Chief Jamie Hammond. “It wasn’t one of those where the victim, or the lady, was pleading with the officers, 'help me, help me, help me.' She’s very calm.”
Despite the calm start, the call quickly became chaotic and resulted in the shooting death of Jonny Fisher, 68, and the injury of one Van Buren officer.
An incident report confirms that the officer’s bulletproof vest and items that he had in his pocket had stopped the bullet from penetrating his body. He was treated and released from the hospital.
Hammond adds that domestic disturbance calls are more prone to end in violence or at least an arrest.
He says the department’s policy is to send at least two officers to the scene to dispel drama, which he says is typically done by separating two people in the argument.
Authorities in the dash cam audio can be heard separating Fisher from his wife Cathie to figure out what was going on.
According to the report, not long after, Fisher brandished two handguns, one in each hand, and went to raise one of the weapons at the officers before shots were exchanged between parties.
Both officers involved in the incident were placed on administration but have since returned to work because their actions were deemed justified as defined by state laws, according to the Crawford County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.