A police officer was reportedly kidnapped during an armed robbery in California, and body camera footage has surfaced showing the dramatic moment.
The incident took place around 5:15 a.m. on February 20, when a vehicle crashed into a FoodMaxx grocery store in Antioch. Just three minutes later, three armed robbers entered the premises before police arrived.
One employee later informed authorities that a robber had been threatening them with a weapon.
As police were issuing commands, the getaway driver collided with a marked police cruiser, prompting officers to approach the vehicle.
At a certain point, an officer lunged towards the car just as it reversed back into the store, managing to land on the passenger side with the door nearly closing on him.
Unexpectedly, the driver sped off with Officer Travis Donaldson now inside the vehicle. The interaction between the officer and the driver was captured on body camera footage.
“Stop the car!” the officer demanded.
“Get out of the car, brother!” the driver retorted.
“Stop the car!” was repeated by the officer.
The driver then shot back, “Get out!”
Again, the officer insisted, “Stop the car!”
A moment later, the driver threatened, “I’m going to crash this damn car! I’m not going to jail!”
Authorities identified the driver as Dominick D’Souza, 23, who ignored Donaldson’s commands and was driving erratically. He even urged the officer to jump out of the vehicle without reducing speed.
In a dangerous turn of events, when D’Souza refused to comply with the officer’s orders, the officer fired his weapon, fatally injuring D’Souza. He subsequently crashed the car and fled on foot.
Additional police arrived shortly and found D’Souza hiding in bushes with a gunshot wound to his leg. He was taken to the hospital but thankfully, his injuries were not life-threatening.
The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office has charged D’Souza with multiple offenses, including kidnapping, robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon against a peace officer.
Officer Donaldson sustained minor injuries during the ordeal.
A nine-minute video of the incident is available on the Antioch City YouTube channel.
