Police shot and killed a crewmember of the show “COPS” who was filming an attempted robbery on Tuesday night, according to Omaha police.
Sound technician Bryce Dion was killed by “friendly fire” by police responding to a local Wendy’s, police chief Todd Schmaderer (pictured above) said in a press conference Wednesday.
The robbery suspect — later revealed to have been wielding an airsoft rifle, a type of recreational gun that fires non-lethal plastic pellets — was also shot and killed by police fire.
“COPS” had been filming in Omaha since June. Dion and the show’s cameraman were embedded with the police unit and followed the officers at the scene Tuesday night, according to police.
Schmaderer said the “very dramatic video” captured by the show’s crew will serve as evidence in the investigation of the officers involved in Dion’s shooting.
“The video footage was recovered and is evidence in the investigation,” Schmaderer said.
He added that in his view, the “COPS” footage justified the officers’ conduct on the scene.
“Based on our viewing of the footage, the officers had no choice but to respond in the way they did,” Schmaderer said.
