TOLEDO (WTOL) - Toledo Police have released video of the moments that took place before a murder suspected was killed inside the Safety Building in downtown Toledo back in December.
The suspect 23-year-old, Monroe High School graduate, Damon Barstard.
Barstard was arrested December 20 in Toledo at the request of Warren, Michigan Police. Those officers believe Barstard shot and killed his grandmother and then tried to dispose the body.
The video appears to show Barstard charging out of a room and is restrained but reaches for an officer’s gun. Other officers join in to force back in the room, however Barstard grabs an officer’s taser and Officer Car Scwirzinkski fires one shot and the scuffle ends.
Deadly force is allowed when police believe there’s a threat.
“He had Officer Schwirzinski in a head lock. His head was down making gurgling sounds. The other officer didn’t know if he was breathing and what really scared everyone, they were in close quarters there and Damon Barstad had a hold of the Officer Schwirzinski’s taser and that arm really wasn’t under control he was throwing it around," explained Sergeant Roy Kennedy with TPD. "One officer said he heard clicking sounds like he was trying to activate the taser. At that point they were scared he was gonna take everybody and incapacitate everybody in the room or do something worse.
Last week, a grand jury determined no charges would be filed in the officer’s shooting of Barstad.
