'I don't want to hurt you': Police release video of Rockford Casino shooting
ROCKFORD — Body-worn and dashboard camera footage of a May 28 police shooting show that a distraught 51-year-old man held a pistol to his own head and fired into the air before pointing the weapon at officers.
Winnebago County Sheriff's Department deputies and Rockford Police Department officers who had moments earlier urged the man to put down the weapon, opened fire, wounding Bradley James Thompkins. What sounds like more than a dozen gun shots can be heard on the video.
Police warn that the video is disturbing and should not be viewed by children or sensitive viewers.
Related: Man shot by police at Rockford Casino, officers involved in shooting identified
Thompkins was said to have been shot three times in the midsection and remains in critical condition.
The edited video release includes footage of Deputy Tomasz Wysocki asking for backup and trying to convince Thompkins to put down a handgun the man was holding to his own head.
Police said Thompkins had 30 minutes earlier been "disorderly" and was asked by security to leave the Rockford Casino, 610 N. Bell School Road.
"Don't do it, OK?" Wysocki is heard saying. "Don't do it, please. Just put the gun away. Put the gun away."
Officers and deputies can be heard urging Thompkins to put the gun down. They offer to get him help.
"I don't want to hurt you," Wysocki says.
"Why?" Thompkins says. "Shoot me."
Police were called about 8:30 p.m. for a report that Thompkins was making threats with a gun in the parking lot. Wysocki is heard on the video via police radio say he is stopping a Ford Explorer with Texas license plates in the parking lot before the confrontation began.
Police say that Thompkins got out of the vehicle and put the gun to his head. Rockford police officers and Winnebago County deputies arrive while Wysocki is speaking with Thompkins.
As police urged Thompkins to put down the gun, video shows he fires into the air. He slumps his shoulders and puts his hand to his forehead while still holding the gun to his head with his other hand.
He then raises the gun, pointing it at officers before they open fire.
Winnebago County State's Attorney J. Hanley said that three officers are believed to have opened fire. They include Rockford officers Dion Embrey and Jordan Black along with Winnebago County deputy Giorgi Arbisi.
The police shooting remains under investigation by the Winnebago-Boone County Integrity Task Force. The investigation could reveal more information about the incident.
Video from the shooting was released by police agencies on Friday.
Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Caruana said his department released an 8-minute video of the shooting composed of his introduction and narration, footage from at least two body-worn cameras and police radio in an effort to be transparent.
Rockford police released a 4-minute narrated video that includes dashboard camera footage of the incident.
Jeff Kolkey: (815) 987-1374; jkolkey@rrstar.com; @jeffkolkey
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Video: Police urged man to surrender before Rockford Casino shooting
