An Orange County sheriff’s officer shot a man in the head earlier this year during a scuffle inside a Walmart in Lake Forest, according to officials who released video of the event on Tuesday. The guy seemed to lunge for a weapon, authorities said.
Body-worn camera footage from deputies shows the man being led out of the store after an employee accuses him of theft. One of the deputies warns that he is armed with a knife. “He’s got a gun!” one of the deputies exclaims as they fight to handcuff him. Before a single shot is fired, someone shouts, “Shoot him!”
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the man, Ernesto Aguilar, 30, of Santa Ana, survived and is recovering in jail. According to county records, he was in prison in Orange on Tuesday, with bail set at roughly $2.3 million.
The department shared more than 15 minutes of video from the Jan. 19 incident, including security footage from Walmart and footage from the three cops involved’ body cams.
The shooting is being investigated by the Orange County district attorney’s office.
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