Officials investigate near a red vehicle believed to be that of the Austin bombing suspect Mark Conditt on I-35 in Round Rock on Wednesday March 21, 2018. JAY JANNER / AMERICAN-STATESMAN

American-Statesman Staff, KVUE News

Five months after law enforcement officers cornered Austin bombing suspect Mark Conditt in Round Rock, state officials on Friday released helicopter video showing the dramatic and deadly confrontation.

The footage marks the first substantial piece of evidence made public in a case that terrorized Austin during a 19-day stretch in March, leaving two people dead and five injured.

The video shows police vehicles getting into position behind Conditt’s small SUV at a red light at Old Settlers Boulevard and the Interstate 35 frontage road.

As Conditt heads south, officers move in, ramming the SUV from behind with a van. The impact causes the SUV to run into the back of another police vehicle positioned in front of Conditt.

Officers rush out of the van and begin furiously beating on the passenger-side window. An officer can be seen delivering three hard strikes to the window before an explosive blast consumes the SUV, forcing officers to back away as smoke pours out.

"Got an explosion. Got an explosion inside the vehicle," an officer says.

The primary force of the blast appears to shoot out of the driver’s side of the SUV. The footage captures a bright flash and debris shooting out well onto the main lanes of the highway.

Texas Department of Public Safety commissioners watched the video in a meeting that was open to the public concerning operations of the agency’s air unit.

Austin police SWAT team members found Conditt in the early morning hours of March 21 and began an effort to stop him.

Though the blast blew the officers back, but none were seriously injured. Police Chief Brian Manley has praised the officers’ actions, saying that they put their lives at risk to stop Conditt.

The case remains under investigation by Austin police and the FBI, who are still conducting forensic examinations of Conditt’s cell phone and computers.

BREAKING: We have just obtained video showing the takedown in March of the Austin bomber. More to come. pic.twitter.com/ZyKUTKlLro

— Tony Plohetski (@tplohetski) August 31, 2018]]