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Video Released In Fatal Police-Involved Shooting In Reisterstown

BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. (WJZ) -- A video obtained by WJZ shows a police-involved shooting that killed an unarmed teenager outside a Reisterstown pharmacy.

Authorities say the video shows the 19-year-old suspect pretending to draw a weapon.

Rick Ritter has more from the Baltimore County Police.

The NAACP has been calling for the release of a video of a the shooting along Main Street on Wednesday afternoon.

The police department released the video Friday to defend to the officer's actions, 48 hours after the shooting that left Keith Harrison McLeod, of Washington, D.C, dead. [Warning: this video is extremely graphic.]

"My police officer had one second to make a life or death decision,' said Chief James Johnson.

The video was captured Wednesday evening by surveillance cameras at a nearby business in Reisterstown.

Police say McLeod tried passing a fake prescription at the pharmacy. Officers were called to the scene and approached him in the parking lot.

Police say the teenage suspect lead them on a foot chase across the street, behind a group of businesses, into a dead-end alley and started screaming at the officer and making threats.

Witnesses tell police the officer tried pleading with the suspect.

RELATEDWitnesses: Suspect Told To 'Stop' Multiple Times In Reisterstown Fatal Shooting

"The suspect on the other hand, according to witnesses and others, repeatedly use profanities, screamed and yelled at the officer, 'I'm going to kill you. I'm going to kill you. I'm going to kill you'," Johnson said.

Police say the video shows the suspect aggressively approaching the lone officer, as if he has a weapon. The he reached around his waist, whipped out his hand and points it at the officer, which ends with the officer firing three shots at the suspect.

"It seemed like they were working him very hard, trying to revive him," said Jessie Issa, of Mondo Pizza.

McLeod was later pronounced dead.

No weapon was found on scene, but police say the officer did exactly what he's trained to do.

"Any reasonable officer, or citizen encountering this situation, would feel they;re facing imminent harm and or death,' said Chief Johnson.

The officer has been identified as Offc. Earomirski. His first name is not being released.

Earomirski has been on the force since 2005 and has been placed on administrative leave.

Earlier this month, the county announced they would have more than 1,000 officer begin using body cameras by 2017.

 

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