Bodycam Shows Police Shooting Man On a Stolen Car in El Cajon, California

El Cajon, California — El Cajon Police Department released body camera footage related to an officer-involved shooting of a car theft suspect, Keith Crenshaw, 21. On 02/12/2020 Officers from the El Cajon Police Department received information from an out-of-state law enforcement agency that a stolen vehicle from their jurisdiction was within the City of El Cajon. The stolen vehicle was described as a tan 2008 Kia Amanti sedan. The reporting agency directed officers to where the vehicle was located. ECPD Officers located the stolen vehicle in the 500 block of South Johnson parked on the side of the road. The officers confirmed the vehicle was stolen.

As the officers coordinated their approach to the vehicle, they discovered an adult male asleep in the driver’s seat. As they planned their approach to arrest the suspect and prevent his escape, he woke up. The officers identified themselves as police officers and immediately began giving repeated commands for the suspect to show them his hands. The suspect refused to show his hands and repeatedly reached under his clothing and into his waistband.

The suspect continued to ignore the officer’s commands and stated something similar to “Shoot me before I do it!” while reaching into his waistband. Believing the suspect was armed, one of the officers on scene fired two rounds, striking the suspect at least one time in the torso. The suspect continued to disobey the officer’s commands by refusing to show his hands. He told the officers, “Kill me please”. Medics quickly responded and the suspect was immediately transported and is being treated at a local hospital.

The suspect has been taken into custody for Auto Theft, a felony, and will be booked into jail once released from the hospital. No firearms were located in the suspect’s possession or in the stolen car.