Berkeley police release raw video of standoff leading to shooting

Berkeley police recently released unedited footage from a tense standoff that ended in a shooting involving Ricardo Ruiz. The video captures Ruiz threatening to shoot officers during an investigation into a domestic violence report at his apartment on April 13. Berkeley police explained that they inadvertently deactivated a body camera leading to the absence of footage showing Ruiz being struck.

In the unedited footage released, Ruiz is seen insisting that there was nobody in his apartment and accusing officers of being manipulated. He repeatedly claimed that he was the victim of false 911 calls in the days leading up to the standoff. Despite Ruiz’s assertions, city dispatchers confirmed that no 911 calls were made to his address in recent days.

During the standoff, Ruiz threatened to shoot indiscriminately in every direction if police entered his apartment. Concerned for their safety, officers attempted to negotiate with Ruiz for almost an hour before an officer fired a shot.

The confrontation captured in the video clearly showed Ruiz brandishing a shotgun and a high-powered air rifle. He repeatedly warned officers that he would use lethal force if they attempted to enter his apartment, and claimed he was being swatted. As tensions escalated, Ruiz threatened to shoot and exhibited threatening behavior towards law enforcement.

Police later confirmed that Ruiz had discharged his air rifle during the standoff, striking a dumpster being used as protection by officers. Despite this confirmation, footage of the moment Ruiz was shot is unavailable due to an inadvertently deactivated camera.

The release of the video shed light on Ruiz’s controversial actions leading up to the standoff. Previously, Ruiz had notably brandished a stun gun at a protest outside Tesla’s showroom and engaged in confrontations with protesters. His YouTube channel featured videos where he made unsubstantiated claims of collusion between local organizations and Berkeley officials against Musk and Trump.

Ruiz currently remains in custody at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin following the standoff. He faces multiple felony charges, including assault on a police officer, exhibiting a firearm in the presence of an officer, and unlawful firearm activity. Despite the mounting charges against him, Ruiz has not yet entered a plea.

The unedited footage released by Berkeley police serves to provide transparency regarding the events leading up to the shooting involving Ricardo Ruiz. It captures the intense standoff and the alarming threats made by Ruiz towards officers. The absence of footage showing Ruiz being shot raises questions about the circumstances surrounding the incident and has prompted further investigation into the incident.