MESA, Ariz. - Now that the trial is over and former Mesa police officer Philip Brailsford has been acquitted in the death of Daniel Shaver, the body camera video of the shooting has been unsealed.
The video shows Shaver coming out of the hotel room and the moments that led up to the shooting, including Shaver allegedly reaching for his waistband.
Previously, the court ordered the portion of the video showing the actual shooting sealed until after the trial.
In order to understand the video, we showed it to former Phoenix police lieutenant Rob Robinson.
"I would have reacted, most likely, exactly like Officer Brailsford," Robinson said.
Robinson said the motion that Shaver made, which an internal investigator determined was likely Shaver reaching to pull up his pants, is the same movement that someone would make when reaching for a gun.
"I've seen people in that exact same position pull a firearm," Robinson said.
In the trial, the prosecution had to prove that a reasonable officer would not have pulled the trigger. But Robinson said from what he saw, any reasonable officer would have fired.
Warning: the following video may be difficult for some to watch. Viewer discretion is advised.
