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WATCH: Watsonville Police body cam shows officer shooting a man outside police station

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WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KION-TV) -- On Friday, Watsonville police release the body cam video from an officer-involved shooting on August 3.

"In our continued commitment to transparency and accountability, we are releasing a critical incident video related to the officer-involved shooting that occurred on Saturday, August 3, 2024, in the front parking lot of our police station," wrote the Watsonville police department.

The video recounts the initial dispatch call of a man threatening his three-year-old step daughter with a knife in front of the police station, as well as body cam, police car and surveillance footage. The video also shows the arrest of murder suspect 25-year-old Joshua Gonzalez, who "was struck by gunfire multiple times," according to police.

Gonzalez showed up to the police station that night, threatened to harm his child and then ran at a police officer, who then shot him before he was taken to a trauma center, according to police. It was found out later that Gonzalez's partner, Lizbeth, had been murdered and her body located in Santa Cruz near Eureka Canyon and Grizzly Flat roads, the video narrated.

Gonzalez, now in custody, is facing murder, attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, endangerment of a child and officer duty prevention charges, according to police.

The police say that they released the video publicly to ensure "compliance with California State Senate Bill 1421."

"This video aims to provide an overview of the incident and the circumstances surrounding it," Watsonville Police wrote on Facebook. "We understand the gravity of such incidents and the importance of maintaining public trust."

The police say that an independent investigation into the shooting is currently underway.

Article Topic Follows: Watsonville

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Jeanette Bent

I’ve been an international professional writer and performer for over 25 years. With a background in journalism, creative writing, dance and aerial, I find the intersection between all of these skills lands itself somewhere under the term “storytelling.”

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