LOVELAND – A police officer shot a 19-year-old armed with knife after the teen began to move quickly toward him, body camera footage released Wednesday shows.
Police responded to the home in the northern Colorado city of Loveland where Alex Domina lived after a 911 call from his grandmother and guardian, Judy Domina on Aug. 16. In a 911 call also released by police, Judy Domina told a told a dispatcher that her grandson was undergoing a mental breakdown and throwing things and asked for help immediately, Loveland Reporter-Herald reported.
“He’s a danger to himself and us,” she said.
The video footage shows Officer Eddie Luzon trying to talk to Alex Domina, who was armed with a knife the whole time, and calm him down. Domina survived but has undergone five surgeries and is in critical condition, Mari Newman, the lawyer for the Domina family, said Wednesday.
“This tragic outcome highlights the need for first responders with mental health training for calls like this,” she said.
The shooting is being investigated by police in nearby Fort Collins under the direction of prosecutors, police Chief Bob Ticer said in a video statement. The department is not drawing any conclusions about whether Luzon violated any policies or the law until the investigation is finished, he said.
