Witnesses cite domestic disturbance in BPD shooting

Sofronio Jaimes, a 35-year resident of Atlanta Street, talks about what he witnessed and heard following Monday's shooting of a man by Beaumont police officers, who responded to a domestic incident on the 2700 block of Atlanta in South Park. Photo taken Tuesday, February 11, 2020 Kim Brent/The Enterprise less Sofronio Jaimes, a 35-year resident of Atlanta Street, talks about what he witnessed and heard following Monday's shooting of a man by Beaumont police officers, who responded to a domestic incident on the 2700 ... more Photo: Kim Brent/The Enterprise Photo: Kim Brent/The Enterprise Image 1 of / 13 Caption Close Witnesses cite domestic disturbance in BPD shooting 1 / 13 Back to Gallery

A house painter working in the 2700 block of Atlanta Avenue says he feared that a standoff Monday afternoon between Beaumont police officers and a man pacing in the street with a pistol would end badly.

“It was something in me,” the man said on Tuesday, asking not to be identified because of the nature of events he witnessed. “I said, ‘They are going to shoot this dude. He’s pointing the gun everywhere. He is pointing it at the house.’”

The Beaumont Police Department declined to provide many details on the incident, but Chief James Singletary said the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office is investigating. Singletary declined to identify the man who was shot or any of the officers involved in the shooting. The injured man remained in “serious” condition, he said.

Officers responded to a call about a shot fired at 1:40 p.m. Monday. The painter who spoke with an Enterprise reporter said he was working when a man showed up outside the house next door and charged that someone was trying to harm his 8-month-old child inside.

“He pulled his pistol out popped one round in the ditch and about five minutes later, the cops showed up,” the witness said. “The lady that was working with us hit her knees, I thought she got shot. I ran to her and looked at her and she said she was just praying.”

After police arrived, the suspect put the weapon on the ground and walked 10 to 15 feet toward the officers, the man said.

“As they were giving him commands, he turned around and grabbed the pistol again,” he said. “To me, he wasn’t pointing it at nobody. He just had it in his hand. He was pointing with it while he was talking. He pointed in the direction of the police and then put it down again.”

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After the suspect picked up the gun the second time, police fired. The witness said more than one officer fired. About six shots total rang out, he said.

“The shooting only came from the officers,” the witness said. “When they shot him, he probably stayed there 10 minutes before anyone got to him. I didn’t see any blood on his front, just on his back. He landed face first in the ditch. Then six or seven officers came down with a shield and yanked him up on the concrete and started putting compression on his wounds.”

Richard Husband, who was also painting next door, and other witnesses said it wasn’t clear whether a sudden movement caused the officers to shoot.

Singletary declined to offer any details, including how many officers fired their weapons. The department said four officers have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard following police-involved shootings.

Related: BPD officer fatally shoots man on disturbance call

It was the third time in five months that Beaumont police have shot people while on duty.

In October, an officer responding to a reported attempted robbery at a local hotel fatally shot a suspect who had attacked him in the parking lot. When the officer attempted to arrest the suspect, he took the officer’s baton and began to strike the officer in the head.

Five weeks later, one of two officers responding to a suspected burglary at Al-Basha Mediterranean Grill fatally shot a suspect they found inside the building. Police said the man wielded a screwdriver and tried to attack the officers.

Related: BPD: Officer fatally shot burglary suspect at Beaumont restaurant

Grand juries looking into those shootings declined to indict either officer.

Husband said he had been working on the home for nearly a week. He said the area has reputation for having “a lot of drugs.”

But Sofronio Jaimes, who has lived on Atlanta for 35 years, described the neighborhood as quiet.