BREAKING

Kingman releases body-camera footage of police shooting

Meghan Finnerty
The Republic | azcentral.com
In a screenshot from a body-camera video, Kingman police officers stand opposite Jeffrey Clair Cave on Sept. 29, 2016.

The Kingman Police Department released the body-camera footage Thursday's shooting in which a man was killed and an officer was injured. The Bullhead City Police Department is still investigating the shooting.

Police released the video on their Facebook page. It begins with a warning of graphic details and then shows officers in bulletproof vests and swat gear knocking on a door. The door opens and the officers face a man inside who is holding a handgun in his right hand. The gun is facing the ground. At about 33 seconds into the video, police repeatedly yell, "Put the gun down, drop the gun." The man, who police have identified as Jeffrey Clair Cave, 53, says "shoot me" at about the 40 second point while continuing to point his gun toward the ground. Police continue to yell at him to drop it. Police then say, "Tase him," and then announce, "Taser." Cave lifts his gun and fires. Police fire back.

According to police, Cave fired his gun and struck two officers. Detective Dennis Gilbert, 57, remains in the hospital in stable but serious condition, police said. Lt. James Brice was not injured; one bullet passed through his clothing, police said.

Gilbert and Detective Nicholas Schmitz both fired their weapons during the incident, officials said. Cave was pronounced dead at the scene. Gilbert and Schmitz have been placed on routine administrative leave while the investigation continues.  According to police, the officers involved were wearing tactical ballistic body armor and gear.

Kingman police went to Cave's home in the 1700 block of Miami Avenue at about 9:30 a.m. Thursday with a search warrant for a stolen firearm, police said. The weapon Cave fired was not the stolen weapon police were seeking, according to police.

Brice has worked for the Kingman Police Department for 25 years. Schmitz has worked with the Kingman Police Department for three and a half years and previously worked for the Flagstaff Police Department. Gilbert has worked for the Kingman Police Department for 17 years.

READERS: Participate in our survey to improve azcentral’s comments