SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The San Diego Police Department Monday released bodycam footage of the police shooting of a man who pointed a BB gun at officers and threatened his family members.
Last week, police identified the officer as Sgt. Zachary Pfannenstiel, who shot 60-year-old Andrew Farnham on March 30. Farnham was later pronounced dead at the hospital. Pfannenstiel is a 14-year veteran of the police department currently assigned to the K-9 unit.
The six-minute, 50-second video is posted on the SDPD's YouTube channel.
According to police, officers were dispatched to the 6500 block of Bonnie View Drive at 4:11 p.m. in response to a man with a gun who “threatened family members and then threatened to shoot himself.”
In the bodycam video, Farnham's 91-year-old father exited the home and approached officers to provide more information. Shortly after, Farnham entered the open garage and pointed a BB gun at the ceiling then at officers.
Moments later, officers can be heard yelling, "Drop the gun, drop the gun" to Farnham. In the video, Sgt. Pfannenstiel was heard shouting "It doesn't have to be this what just tells us what we have to do to make you comply."
According to the SDPD video, Sgt. Pfannenstiel fired at least three shots.
Though gravely wounded, Farnham continued to hold on to the gun while writhing around on the ground. Officers eventually sent in a service dog whose bites forced the suspect to let go of the weapon, which investigators subsequently determined was a BB gun.
The SDPD’s Internal affairs unit will investigate to determine if there were any policy violations, while the shooting review board will evaluate the officer’s tactics, police said. The Commission of Police Practices is also reviewing the incident for potential recommendations.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations and the United States Attorney’s Office is also monitoring the investigation.
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