The Arlington Police Department has released relevant portions of body-worn camera footage from an officer-involved shooting incident that occurred on October 7, 2024 at an apartment complex in the 1400 block of E. Lamar Boulevard.
Members of the public can view the video on the department's YouTube channel by clicking here.
Due to age restriction settings on YouTube, you may be required to sign into the site to view the video.
At approximately 9:01 that evening, officers were dispatched to the apartment complex for a Suspicious Person call. The 911 caller reported that an unknown man was in the parking lot looking into several cars that were parked outside one of the buildings. The caller also told dispatchers they believed they saw this individual carrying a gun.
Two APD officers arrived on scene and quickly located the man, 34-year-old Tony Coward, lying on his back on the hood of a vehicle. The officers shined a flashlight on him, announced themselves as police, and asked him what was going on.
They then noticed he had a handgun on his hip. As Mr. Coward sat up, officers immediately began giving him commands to show his hands – but instead of complying, Mr. Coward retrieved the gun and raised it towards the officers. Both officers then fired their service weapons multiple times, striking Mr. Coward.
Following the shooting, officers rendered aid to Mr. Coward until paramedics arrived. He was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.
No officers were injured during the incident.
Investigators determined Mr. Coward fired a shot during the encounter. They recovered a spent shell casing at the scene that was scanned and entered into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), which is a national database law enforcement agencies can access to help trace ballistics evidence and develop leads in cases. NIBIN confirmed the shell casing was a direct match to Mr. Coward’s gun, which was also recovered from the scene.
Both the criminal and administrative investigations into this incident remain ongoing.
Per department policy, both officers were placed on administrative leave following the shooting, but have since returned to work.
Report #2024-02810660
Police News Releases, Police, Public Safety