On police bodycam video released Friday, two witnesses - including Jason Walker’s father - say they saw Walker jump on the hood of an off-duty deputy’s truck before being shot.
The three clips released Friday are a small part of the video footage available, the city of Fayetteville said in a news release.
“However, the city has filed a petition to have all of the body cam footage released which encompasses about 20 hours of video,’’ the release said. “Staff will be working as expeditiously as possible to review that video and submit it for the judge’s consideration.”
Walker, 37, was shot and killed Jan. 8 by an off-duty deputy on Bingham Drive. The deputy has been identified as Lt. Jeffrey Hash. Hash has been placed on administrative leave. No charges have been filed.
The State Bureau of Investigation is looking into the shooting.
In one of the videos, Anthony Walker tells a Fayetteville police officer that the man who was shot is his son. The officer asks him about what happened.
“He came over there, he came out of the yard, and I was trying to get him to come back over here,’’ Anthony Walker said. “I called him. I said, ‘Come back, Jason.’ He came out into the street.’’
He continued talking to the officer: “He was out here in the daggone street and that fella drove up and he jumped up on the guy’s hood and the guy jumped out and shoots him.’’
When the officer asks if anyone recorded the shooting, Anthony Walker said he doesn’t know.
“But you can see where he was on the hood right there,’’ Anthony Walker said. “See right there, pulled off one of his daggone windshield wipers and he hit the windshield.”
In another of the clips, another man also tells an officer that Walker jumped on the deputy’s truck.
“He jumped up – that fella jumped up on the hood,” he said of Walker, “and he (Hash) jumped out of his car and shot him.”
The man then points across the road to a man who appears to be Hash standing by a truck.
In the background, that man can be heard saying to another officer, “He ran across the street so I stopped.’’
The man tells the officer that Walker jumped on his car, pulled one of the wipers off and beat the windshield. He tells the officer that his family was in the vehicle.
In a 911 call after the shooting, Hash said Walker pulled off the windshield wipers and began beating the windshield, eventually breaking it. He said his wife and daughter were in the vehicle with him and felt he had to protect them.
The third clip – the longest of the three at just under three minutes – largely has Elizabeth Ricks recounting what she saw.
In the video, Ricks tells the officer that she needs an alcohol pad to wipe off Walker’s blood. Ricks tells the officer she is a trauma nurse and she attended to Walker until officers arrived.
“He (Hash) was in the truck, and he (Walker) came up, and I don’t know what exactly happened,” she said. “I don’t know if he got onto the car or if he was actually hit. I don’t know.’’
She continued: “But they were in the truck, in the vehicle. I don’t understand. They were in a big-(expletive) car; he didn’t have anything on him or anything like that.’’
She continued: “Speculation, I don’t know if he was mentally unwell or anything. But and then the guy just started shooting him. And while in the car. …”
“While he’s in the car he shot …,” an officer interrupts and questions her without completing the thought.
“The sheriff – whatever the hell … He says he’s the sheriff,” Ricks replies. “I don’t see that he posed a threat.”
“And he was already on the ground, and he shot him?” the officer asks.
“Yeah. It’s like he hit him and then got out and just shot him,” Ricks said.
“What is your name?” he asks her.
“Elizabeth Ricks. … Does he have a pulse?”
The officer ignored the question but continued to ask Ricks to spell her name for him.
Much of the rest of the video, where Ricks is asked for personal information, is redacted.
The city said some information was removed from the video like witnesses’ personal information and social security numbers to protect their privacy.
The officer also addressed the man who was with Ricks.
“You also saw it?” he asks.
“I just seen a man on the ground when we pulled up. Said that he had ran out in front of him and hit his car, came up on his car so he shot him. That’s all,” the man said.
Police Chief Gina Hawkins filed a petition earlier this week in Cumberland County Superior Court asking that the bodycam footage be released. A judge on Thursday authorized the release of the footage.
There have been daily protests and rallies in Fayetteville since Sunday, and the shooting has made national news.
Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump is representing the Walker family.
“We’re going to represent Jason’s family and get to the truth,” Crump said during a rally Thursday night at Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church.
On Jan. 11, Crump posted on his FaceBook page: “Witnesses at the scene of Jason Walker's death are disputing claims that he jumped onto deputy Jeffrey Hash's car. This lack of answers is UNACCEPTABLE! Walker's family, including his young son, deserve transparency into why he was senselessly killed.”
The chief’s petition appeared to be an attempt to refute statements made by Ricks and the man who was with her. One of them recorded the aftermath of the scene, a video that has gone viral online.
The petition to release the video reads in part, “Two witnesses have made comments on social media, released a video, and spoke at a protest regarding this incident, generating significant public attention. The body-worn camera of officers captured the statements of three witnesses. FPD is seeking public release of the witness statement recordings to advance compelling public interest, release would not create a serious threat to the fair administration of justice.”
Ricks could not be reached for comment Friday.
But she told the News & Observer of Raleigh that she witnessed the incident and saw Walker attempting to cross the street to get to his home when he was hit by Hash's pickup.
"The man was just walking home,” Ricks told the newspaper.
Michael Futch covers Fayetteville and education for CityView TODAY. He can be reached at mfutch@cityviewnc.com. Have a news tip? Email news@CityViewTODAY.com.
