May 30, 2021- 4:10 p.m.
The Pittsburg Police Department released body cameras, camera surveillance video of an Officer Involved in a Fatal Shooting of 31-year-old Patrick Watkins that occurred on May 20, 2021, 09:21 P.M.
May 20, 2021 evening, Pittsburg Police Officers were called to an apartment complex in the 2300 block of Loveridge Road regarding Watkins holding a handgun, banging on the front door of the apartment of his ex-girlfriend and mother of his child.
When officers arrived, they contacted Watkins as he was seated on a stairway leading to the second-floor apartment. Officers asked Watkins to walk down the stairs and speak with them, but he ignored their commands and began walking back up the stairs away from the officers.
Body Cam: Off Duty & Officer Involved Fatal Shooting. (Road Rage Incident)
Officers followed Watkins up the stairs and continued to ask him to stop and not walk away. As Watkins reached the top of the stairs, officers observed he was in possession of a handgun in his right hand. Officers directed Watkins to get on the ground and drop the handgun.
Watkins turned towards the officers and pointed the handgun directly at them. Officer Odell then used his service weapon, striking Watkins in the upper torso, and causing Watkins immediately to fall to the ground, still holding the handgun in his right hand.
After Officer Odell used his service weapon, he (Officer Odell) dropped down onto the stairway. As Officer Simpson approached the top of the stairway, he observed Watkins still pointing the handgun at officers. Officer Simpson then used his service weapon. Officers moved to a safe location at the bottom of the stairway. Following the shooting, officers continued speaking with Watkins, asking him to drop the handgun so they could provide him with medical attention. Watkins did not respond.
After nearly 40 minutes of attempting to get Watkins to put down the handgun, officers used ballistic shields to safely walk up to Watkins and take the handgun from his right hand. Officers then started life saving measures with paramedics. Unfortunately, Watkins died at the scene due to his injuries.
A Walther .22 Caliber handgun was recovered from Watkins’s right hand. While the handgun Watkins had in his possession was found to be unloaded, there was a live round for the handgun located next to him.
