Shocking video released by California law enforcement on Tuesday shows the moment an armed suspect fatally shot an officer during a domestic disturbance call in May.
Stockton police responded on May 11 to multiple 911 calls, which stated that “a woman with a ripped shirt” was “bleeding” following a possible assault and heated argument within a home, according to information from Chief Eric Jones. Minutes later, Officer Jimmy Inn arrived at the scene, knocked on the door, and positioned himself to the left of the entryway.
Inn is heard saying, “Hey, police,” before a man, who was later identified as Lance Lowe, answers the door with a gun pointed directly at the officer, according to video footage and statements from Jones.
Multiple shots are audible as Inn falls to the ground. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital by the end of the day.
WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO
Seconds later, Lowe discharged his firearm at Officer Pancho Freer, who was sitting in his patrol car, before he fired back. Freer was not struck by any gunfire as the rounds hit the exterior of his vehicle.
“Jimmy, you all right?” Freer can be heard saying in body camera footage.
He continued, “Jimmy, stay with me.”
Lowe then went back inside of his home, grabbed his 8-year-old, and began strangling him on the front lawn.
“Don’t do it. Let the kid go. … Let the kid go, man,” Freer said.
He added, “I don’t want to kill you. … I need units. Code three. He’s strangling the kid.”
A neighbor eventually sprung into action and tackled Lowe to the ground. Freer then ran toward the scuffle and shot Lowe multiple times. The suspect was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
“As difficult as it may be to see and hear for many of us, we believe the release of this information is part of our principles of transparency,” Jones said of the footage.
“This was a very traumatic incident for everyone,” the chief continued.
Both the 8-year-old and the unidentified female victim did not sustain serious injuries from the incident.
Inn had served with the Stockton Police Department for seven years, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. He is survived by his wife, who also works for the department, a 7-year-old son, and two stepchildren. The investigation into his death spanned multiple agencies, both federal and local.
