The Arlington Police Department has released 911 audio and relevant portions of body-worn camera footage from an officer-involved shooting that occurred on April 25, 2024. The incident, which began as an investigation into a possible stabbing, resulted in the death of a man.
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.
On Thursday, April 25, at 4:41 p.m., the Arlington Police Department responded to an apartment complex in the 2700 block of Lawrence Road after a man, later determined to be 31-year-old Michael Bassey, called 911 claiming he stabbed and killed someone.
As officers approached the apartment in question, they could see Mr. Bassey looking out the window. Due to the nature of the call, the officers set up a perimeter around the apartment and gave him verbal instructions to come outside and show his hands. He exited the apartment holding a beer and a large knife.
The officers gave Mr. Bassey multiple commands to drop the knife, but he did not comply. Instead, Mr. Bassey walked from his apartment down the stairs to the parking lot, and then suddenly ran in the direction of officers. One officer fired a single shot from his service weapon. Mr. Bassey fell to the ground, but quickly got up and began running from officers, still holding the knife.
The officers pursued him on foot towards a wooded area that separates the east side of the complex from N. Collins Street. They continued to give him commands to stop and drop the knife.
Mr. Bassey started to run down an embankment, but then turned around, raised the knife, and ran in the direction of officers again. At that point, the same officer who fired the first shot fired a second shot. Mr. Bassey fell to the ground, stood up again, and then ran down the embankment to a field along N. Collins Street. When he got to the field, he fell to the ground still holding the knife.
When Mr. Bassey attempted to stand up, a second officer deployed his taser and immobilized him. The officers then moved in, removed the knife from his hand, and detained him. As the officers were placing Mr. Bassey in handcuffs, they discovered he’d sustained a single gunshot wound. The officers immediately began performing life-saving measures on Mr. Bassey until paramedics arrived.
Mr. Bassey was transported a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.
No officers were injured.
A third officer deployed a taser and a fourth officer deployed a 40 mm less lethal round during the encounter – but neither appear to have hit Mr. Bassey.
Additional responding officers checked the apartment for any stabbing victims, but did not locate anyone inside. They also checked with emergency rooms at area hospitals, but none reported any patients with stab wounds. After investigating the matter further, APD does not believe Mr. Bassey stabbed anyone, despite what he told 911 Dispatch.
Two investigations into the incident remain ongoing:
- a criminal investigation led by the APD Homicide Unit that will review the entire incident and determine if any criminal offenses were committed
- an administrative investigation led by the APD Internal Affairs Unit that will determine whether officers followed department policies and procedures during the incident.
The officer who fired his service weapon remains on paid administrative leave. The other officers who responded to the incident have returned to their normal shifts.
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