Police dash-cam footage released Wednesday morning shows police officers celebrating after the Charleston church shooting suspect was taken to a waiting police car in Shelby, N.C.
The recording shows one policeman taking the handcuffed, white T-shirt-clad Dylann Roof to a waiting police car 13 hours after the church shooting. As the video continues, the remaining four officers turn to each other and exchange high fives and fist bumps in celebration.
“County, we just stopped the vehicle out here on Plato Lee Road,” said one officer to dispatch following Roof’s apprehension. “Confirmed, it is the suspect in the Charleston shooting.”
Moments before the call, the dash cam captured multiple officers approaching Roof’s 2000 Hyundai Elantra GS that was pulled over on the side of the road. One policeman drew his weapon. Roof exited his vehicle calmly and the officers searched him before placing him in handcuffs. Authorities found a black gun hidden under a pillow in the back seat of Roof’s car.
“Advised, the suspect looks like the subject they’re talking about on the news from that Charleston shooting, says that he has a bowl haircut, white male, appears to be the vehicle they see on TV,” a dispatcher informed the pursuing police in one of the newly released recordings of communications between dispatch and officers.
The series of events started after Debbie Dills, a local florist, called her boss to say she thought she had seen the Charleston gunman. Her boss notified a police officer he is friends with, beginning his 911 call with “this may sound strange but …”
The officer then relayed the message to the Shelby police department, adding that Dills was going to continue to follow the car until the authorities caught up.
“A lady called a friend of mine and said that she was behind a car matching the description of the Charleston killer,” the officer said.
Immediately following the call, the search began.
