Robert Jenkins body cam video shows fatal Connecticut bat attack
Connecticut officials released body cam footage from a Meriden case in which a man and his father both died after a violent attack.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
3 min read
Robert Jenkins body cam footage released by Connecticut’s Office of the Inspector General shows a deadly confrontation outside a Meriden home on July 19, when police say a 38-year-old man attacked his 69-year-old father with a baseball bat before an officer shot him.
The office identified the younger man as Robert Jenkins III and his father as Robert Jenkins Jr. According to the footage released this week, an officer arrived at the residence and found Jenkins III armed with a bat while Jenkins Jr. was on the ground.
What does the Robert Jenkins body cam video show?
The video released by the Connecticut Office of the Inspector General begins with an officer pulling up to the home in a squad car. The officer gets out with his gun drawn and moves toward Jenkins III, who is standing over his father.
In the footage, the officer repeatedly orders Jenkins III to drop the bat. Jenkins III does not comply and continues striking his father, including blows to the head, according to what is shown in the video.
The officer then fires nearly 20 shots, hitting Jenkins III several times in the torso, according to the footage. Jenkins III initially remains on his feet and continues the attack before falling to the ground.
The video is graphic and shows the fast-moving encounter from the responding officer’s camera. Body camera footage records what an officer’s worn camera captures during a response, and in cases involving police gunfire, it can show the sequence officials are reviewing.
What happened to Robert Jenkins and his father?
Jenkins III was taken to a local hospital after the shooting, where he died, according to the Connecticut Office of the Inspector General. Jenkins Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene.
The deadly incident left both men dead after the attack outside the home. Officials have not announced what they believe led up to the violence.
Police are still investigating the circumstances that preceded the attack, according to the report. No motive has been released.
Who released the video?
The footage was made public by Connecticut’s Office of the Inspector General. The office released the body camera video this week as authorities continue to examine the police shooting and the fatal assault.
The video, as described by officials, shows the officer arriving during the attack rather than after it had ended. The responding officer can be heard giving commands before firing, according to the footage.
Authorities have not reported any additional suspects in the incident. The investigation remains focused on what happened at the Meriden residence on July 19 and what led to Jenkins III’s attack on his father, according to police.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.