Napa police release body camera video of fatal officer-involved shooting

NAPA, Calif. (KGO) -- Napa Police say body cam video released Monday shows a man grabbed an officer's rifle and fired several shots before the officer got his weapon back and shot-and-killed the man.

The body camera footage is from last Wednesday's confrontation between Officer Christopher Simas and the suspect David Molina.
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Investigators say Molina refused 31 commands to put up his hands or stop running. Both men struggled when Officer Simas tried to handcuff Molina.

RELATED: Assault suspect dies after officer-involved shooting in Napa

Police say Molina grabbed the trigger of the officer's rifle, and fired several times. Moments later, Simas shot and killed Molina.
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Monday Napa Police Chief Robert Plummer explained why his officer carried such a powerful weapon.

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"Knowing that they are going to a person with a gun call, they use the most accurate that we have in our arsenal. That being the rifle."



Police confronted Molina after someone reported he threatened them with a gun. Investigators found a gun at the scene and they believe it had been in Molina's waistband.