'Officer justified' in fatal shooting

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Dash-cam video released Tuesday shows the moments leading up to an officer-related shooting and killing of an armed man, but the gunshots were fired outside the camera's range.

Kent County Prosecutor William Forsyth, who released the video, ruled Grand Rapids Police Officer Donald Lake acted appropriately in self-defense when he shot Gabriel Hood, 33, on the city's northeast side.

"Under these circumstances, Officer Lake was justified in using deadly force against what would be perceived by any reasonable person as an imminent danger of death or great bodily harm," Forsyth said in a written release.

Hood, a parolee on the run, was armed with a loaded 9mm gun stolen from a home in Lowell and had pointed it at the officer, Forsyth said.

The video, taken by the officer's dash-cam, shows Lake pulling over Hood, who was illegally driving a moped with a passenger near Ann Street and Center Avenue NE on March 18.

"What did we do wrong?" Hood asked.

"You can't ride two on a moped?"

"Oh, you can't?" Hood responded.

Hood lied in response to nearly every question, even corrected the officer for mispronouncing his fake name -- Devardus Lamont Sampson.

He told the officer he was using a moped owned by his friend, Lonnie Chilton. Police learned later that Hood had bought the moped using the Chilton name.

As the officer prepared to search Hood, the suspect bolted. The video shows the officer grabbing at the man's coat, with Hood wiggling free, running bare-chested across the street.

The video shows him stumble, then appear to reach for his right waistband, which is where he kept the gun, prosecutors said.

"Drop the gun," yelled the officer, who pulled his department-issued .40-caliber Sig Sauer.

That is when the foot chase goes off-screen.

Hood fled and Lake chased him between houses, police said. When Hood was unable to climb a fence, he pointed the gun at Lake, according to police.

The video captures the sound: "Drop it, drop it, or I'm going to kill you," the officer yelled.

Two seconds later, the sounds of five gunshots within a span of two seconds -- all fired by the officer.

Hood was hit in the abdomen and later died at Spectrum Butterworth.

Forsyth said Hood had plenty of reason to run -- he had jumped parole, was wanted on an earlier drug-related gun incident, and had marijuana, heroin and more than $1,200 in his pockets, along with the stolen gun.

More from the release:

Because Officer Lake did not know Hood’s identity at the time of the shooting, Hood’s background is irrelevant as it relates to Officer Lake’s state of mind. Hood’s legal status and the items in his possession, however, are relevant in helping to explain his behavior.

Since he was on absconder status, wanted on a four count felony warrant, in possession of marijuana and heroin and carrying a stolen handgun, it is obvious why he lied to Officer Lake about (1) ownership of the moped, (2) his identity, (3) his status as a parolee and (4) whether he possessed a weapon. It is also obvious why he ran and why he had told Shaykila Sledge (his passenger on the Moped) that he was going to run from the officer.

Ms. Sledge was asked by the detectives to “elaborate on her thoughts” during the confrontation between Hood and Officer Lake. Her response speaks volumes: in part, she said “she could tell that Hood was contemplating shooting Officer Lake. Hood had a bewildered look on his face after the fifth time Officer Lake told him to drop the weapon.

It scared her because she thought Hood was going to shoot the officer. She said Hood would not let the gun go and was probably thinking it was too late to try to get rid of the gun because the officer already saw him with it and he would go back to prison … She said Hood was on parole … and on the run.”

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Read the entire news release (Microsoft Word document)