Graphic body camera footage and 911 calls from the Sept. 21 fatal officer-involved shooting of a 31-year-old Wheaton man were released Monday in videos by the Maryland Office of the Attorney General Independent Investigations Division and Montgomery County police.
The videos pertain to the shooting of Melvin Omar Chavez-Paz by Cpl. Cody Hobbs, a 12-year veteran of the county police department, after the officer responded to a report of an assault in progress on the 3400 block of Janet Road in Silver Spring.
As required by state law, the Independent Investigations Division is investigating the shooting. Hobbs has been on administrative leave since the incident, county police spokesperson Shiera Goff told Moco360 on Tuesday.
The 13-minute video from the attorney general’s office begins with Hobbs’ body camera footage showing him arriving at the scene shortly before 8 p.m. A small group of people stands on one side of the street pointing to a man later identified as Chavez-Paz on the other side. Chavez-Paz can be seen walking in a yard, shirtless and holding what was later identified as a grill fork in his right hand.
As Chavez-Paz paces, Hobbs requests backup over the radio, points his gun and flashlight at Chavez-Paz and yells at him to “drop the knife.” Blood can be seen on Chavez-Paz’s left eyebrow. He appears to say something, moving his arms and pointing toward Hobbs, but the body camera does not pick up what he says, according to the video. Chavez-Paz then begins to walk across the street toward Hobbs and the group as Hobbs continues to order him to drop “the knife.”
As Chavez-Paz nears the group, Hobbs fires six times at him. In the background, screams can be heard as Chavez-Paz crumples to the ground near the back of a white pickup.
Two other police officers on the scene then walk up to Hobbs and Chavez-Paz. Hobbs tells the officers to “holster up,” put on gloves and put Chavez-Paz in handcuffs. Body camera footage from assisting officers is also included later in the video.
After Chavez-Paz is in handcuffs, Hobbs’ body camera shows him returning to his police cruiser to get a medical kit. When he returns, he and the other officers begin to administer aid. Next to Chavez-Paz’s motionless body is a pool of blood.
A third officer arrives and asks Hobbs if he is alright, to which he responds, “Yeah. I’m good.”
County police release video
Following the release of the body-camera footage by the attorney general’s office, county police also released a video Monday about the incident. In that video, police public information officer Carlos Cortes-Vazquez said the aim is to let the public view “relevant video footage, other evidence and police procedures related to the case.”
The county police’s video includes the 911 call related to the incident, the radio dispatch sent to county officers as well as their analysis of the body-camera footage.
In the 911 call, a woman informs the dispatcher of an intoxicated “gentleman” outside who “wants to fight with my husband, with everybody that is here.”
While providing information about the incident’s location, the caller can be heard relaying information back to others on the scene. When the dispatcher asked if the people at the scene could separate from the man, she said they were trying to do so.
“But he wants to get in the car. He’s strong. He has a stick,” the caller said of the man. Seconds later she screams and says, “Señor, please stop, stop. … Please stop fighting.”
In the initial broadcast to police, the dispatcher told officers the incident was an assault and that a drunk male was looking to fight. A different dispatcher said there was another 911 call in progress with a “female freaking out and screaming on the phone.”
Later on the 911 call, the woman begged the dispatcher to send police and said that Chavez-Paz was walking outside with a weed whacker.
Screaming and yelling can be heard in the background of the call and the woman begins to yell out in distress as the situation appears to escalate.
“He’s coming with something in his hand. I don’t know what he has,” the caller said. Moments later, the caller said a police officer had arrived.
According to the dispatch, when Hobbs arrived at the scene, he requested more police units. “We got one at gunpoint with a knife,” he said.
In the background of the 911 call, more screaming and yelling can be heard as well as Hobbs telling Chavez-Paz to drop the knife.
About 25 seconds after the caller informed the dispatcher that police had arrived, gunshots rang out. Still on the phone with 911, the woman screams.
In the next part of the community briefing video, Cortes-Vazquez discuss the body camera footage, which was edited to highlight the object in Chavez-Paz’s hand.
Cortes-Vasquez then highlights the police department’s code that says officers can use deadly force ”if such force is necessary, as a last resort due to a lack of reasonable and safe alternative, to defend themselves or another person from what they reasonably believe is an imminent threat of death or serious physical injury.”
What happens next
At the end of the police video, Cortes said the county police department’s Office of Internal Affairs will conduct an administrative investigation into the shooting.
“And, if appropriate and consistent with state law, [the office] will refer this matter to the administrative charging committee for review and determination on the appropriateness of any disciplinary charges for policy violations,” he said.
The Office of the Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division will continue to investigate the shooting. The division is required to release officers’ body-camera footage within 20 business days after an incident.
A timeline for the completion of the investigation by the attorney general’s office remains unclear. When the division completes its investigation, it will determine whether to file charges against Hobbs, according to its protocol.
After the shooting, CASA, an advocacy group representing people of color and immigrants that is in contact with the family, said it was providing “direct services and humanitarian support” for Chavez-Paz’s family. CASA did not immediately reply for comment.
Lee Holland, president of the Montgomery County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 35, did not respond to MoCo360’s request for comment.
