Body camera shows the man shooting the Pierce County deputy
A Pierce County team investigating police use of lethal force released body camera video Monday showing a sheriff’s deputy shooting a 19-year-old man near Frederickson after a chase policewoman.
The shooting occurred on the morning of May 12 outside a home in the 6200 block of East 161st Street, a residential road off East 62nd Avenue. This ended a police chase that began earlier in the morning when deputies located a vehicle near East 160th Street and Canyon Road that was wanted in connection with an armed hijacking, several thefts and one robbery.
The Pierce County Force Investigative Team released video of the chase and shooting as part of a weekly news release that provides an update on whether there are new developments in the investigation.
Investigators from the Pierce County Force Investigation Team said Bryan Galeana-Mendoza was behind the wheel. The deputies tried to stop his vehicle twice in this area, but each time, according to the investigators, he fled. According PCFITthe vehicle was spotted a third time traveling south on Canyon Road East, and a deputy saw the driver, relaying that he matched the description of the theft suspect in previous incidents.
The 19-year-old fled a third traffic stop and drove to the home on 161st Street, where he jumped on a motorcycle and started driving again. That’s when Deputy Brian Johnson, 27, shot Galeana-Mendoza three times, hitting him once, according to video and PCFIT press releases. Johnson has worked in the sheriff’s department for five years.
Galeana-Mendoza was injured and taken to an area hospital, where investigators said Monday he was still recovering. Court records show he was charged on May 13 in Pierce County Superior Court with theft of a motor vehicle, attempt to evade a pursuing police vehicle, and three counts of damage to the monitored vehicle or other property.
According to court records, Galeana-Mendoza had a warrant for his arrest for failing to appear in Superior Court on March 31. The 19-year-old was facing charges of reckless driving and attempting to flee from a Lakewood police officer.
Traffic stop at 160th and Canyon Road East
Body camera footage shows Johnson attempting to stop the driver of the BMW around 10:34 a.m. at East 160th Street and Canyon Road East, north of Frederickson.
The vehicle Galeana-Mendoza was driving, a 2013 silver BMW, was stolen at gunpoint May 8 in Vancouver, Wash., investigators said. The same vehicle was involved in the theft of a truck in Lacey on May 9, an attempted robbery at a high school in Lacey on the same day and an armed robbery in Lacey on May 10, according to PCFIT.
Investigators released video of the interaction from three different angles, including Johnson’s body camera, the dash cam of a deputy who arrived behind Johnson and the dash cam of a sergeant. patrol that arrived in front of him.
In Johnson’s video, he radioed that the driver’s deputies were chasing and was stuck in traffic and that he was going to try to get him out. Johnson got out, then quickly returned to his vehicle to grab a long-handled flashlight. The deputy ran to the silver BMW shouting “get out of the car” and immediately blasted a hole in the driver’s side window of the vehicle with the flashlight.
The driver drove forward, hitting a vehicle to his left. Johnson said his foot was crushed, then continued to smash the driver’s side window, shouting for the driver to get out. The BMW backed up as Johnson clung to the side mirror, then accelerated hard, slamming into several vehicles. Johnson then drew his gun and pointed it through the rear windshield, continuing to shout for the driver to stop.
Instead, the driver managed to cut through traffic and sped away. Johnson returned to his patrol car as other deputies chased the fleeing driver.
The chase leads to the Pierce County residence
Footage from a patrol sergeant’s dash cam shows the chase began around 10:35 a.m. as the BMW fled south on Canyon Road East. The driver turned left onto East 163rd Street near a Pacific Pride gas station.
The fleeing BMW traveled along East 163rd Street, East 57th Avenue, and East 161st Court Street, with the patrol sergeant following at a distance. Video appears to show the patrol sergeant radioing that the suspect is likely heading for East 160th Street, and he requests that “stop sticks” be deployed in an attempt to deflate the BMW’s tires.
Galeana-Mendoza turned onto 160th Street heading east. Stop sticks were deployed in front of his vehicle. According to the Galeana-Mendoza charging documents, the BMW rammed them, damaging both left tires. The driver continued and turned right onto East 62nd Avenue, where the chase ended near several houses on East 161st Street.
As the deputies entered the residential driveway, Galeana-Mendoza was out of the BMW and on a motorcycle in the driveway of a house, trying to get it started.
He started fleeing again, and Johnson pulled over in his patrol vehicle at 10:37 a.m. Johnson walked out, drew his gun, and appeared to shout “stop” twice. Next, Johnson fired three shots at the fleeing motorcyclist as the patrol sergeant stood nearby.
Deputies immediately provided first aid to the injured man, according to PCFIT. He was transported to an area hospital. The video indicates that the motorcycle Galeana-Mendoza was riding was reported stolen and a stolen handgun was also found at the scene.
According to Galeana-Mendoza charging documents, a woman was in the passenger seat of the BMW during the chase. When the vehicle arrived at the residence on East 161st Street, according to court records, the woman exited the vehicle and ran into a mobile home.