Description of body cam footage in fatal officer-involved shooting; officer involved identified
BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - The officer who shot and killed Calvin Toney, 24, Monday night was wearing a body cam that fell off as the two men struggled, the WAFB 9News Investigators team has learned.
The preliminary autopsy report states Toney died from a single gunshot wound to the chest. The report from the coroner's office says the gunshot went through Toney's chest from front to back and from left to right.
The identity of the officer involved was confirmed by the Baton Rouge Police Department Tuesday night. The officer was identified as Darrell Carter, 32, of uniform patrol. According to BRPD, he's been with the department for two and a half years.
Officer Carter was escorting a state child social worker to an apartment where Toney lived. They were following up on a weekend incident in which a young child was taken from the home with burns and fractures. Toney was under investigation by the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) for possible child abuse allegations.
Investigators said Tuesday they were still interviewing witnesses to the shooting and had no immediate plans to release the body cam footage.
Two highly-trusted sources, who have seen the body cam footage, both told WAFB a similar story of what allegedly happened:
- A state social worker arrives at the apartment with a BRPD officer. Toney immediately runs from the apartment.
- Carter tries to get Toney in custody and the two struggle. During this time, Carter's body cam falls off but clear audio can still be heard. The audio includes, the sources say, the officer repeatedly calling for backup.
- Carter uses his taser on Toney and it sounds as though there is a struggle for the taser between him and Toney. Carter shoots Toney, who then runs a short distance before collapsing.
- After being shot, Toney is then handcuffed. He is alert and talking. An officer uses a medical 'patch' to seal the wound. Paramedics arrive and the handcuffs are removed so they can render further aid. Toney is given water to drink. A short time later, he dies.
RELATED: Man fatally shot by BR police officer was under investigation for child abuse, state police say
WAFB has not been provided a copy of the body cam video.
Louisiana State Police is investigating the shooting. State Police Colonel Kevin Reeves told WAFB's Kevin Frey Tuesday afternoon that he had viewed the body cam footage.
"Almost immediately, a scuffle took place between that person and a Baton Rouge police officer. It quickly escalated into a lethal force situation," said Reeves.
Reeves says the shooting took place during a scuffle and that Toney then ran and fell. LSP clarified Toney was not handcuffed when he was shot, but was handcuffed after the shooting for safety reasons because he continued to be non-compliant.
"There's a rumor out there that he was handcuffed when he was shot. That is not true at all. The subject was handcuffed for the officer's safety once he fell down. He was handcuffed for officer safety and for the safety of him," said Reeves.
Authorities also say Toney was tasered multiple times before he was shot.
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