The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has released body camera footage of a shoot-out between police officers and a suspect that wounded the Maybrook, NY Police Chief last week.

The incident happened Tuesday, May 16, 2017, after police were dispatched to an apartment complex on Abbey Avenue to investigate a report of a domestic disturbance. Arriving on the scene, officers discovered the suspect, Anthony Bostick, had barricaded himself inside his ex-girlfriend’s apartment. Officers attempted to de-escalate the situation but entered the apartment by force when it was suspected Bostick might attempt to take his own life.

“Mr. Bostick refused to open the door and refused to cooperate with police, despite the police asking repeatedly for over 30 to 40 minutes for his cooperation,” District Attorney David Hoovler said during a press conference on Thursday. “At a point when they believed he may have become suicidal, they entered the residence.”

Police were initially armed with tasers but switched to lethal tactics as they got closer to where Bostick was hiding in the apartment. The suspect opened fire on officers and one of the shots hit Montgomery Police Chief Arnold “Butch” Amthor in the shoulder. The video shows officers returned fire on Bostick, but does not show him being hit.

https://youtu.be/EyeoeaYy1sA?t=5s

Bostick was located inside the apartment and pronounced dead on the scene. No official determination has been made as to whether the gunshots were the result of suicide or the exchange of gunfire.

Watching the video it is easy to see how quickly a law enforcement situation can turn deadly, and how tense and nerve-wracking one encounter can be, and officers put their lives on the line every day. We should never take for granted how difficult their jobs are and how split-second decisions can mean life or death for everyone involved.