Body camera video from the Denton Police Department of the fatal officer involved shooting of Darius Tarver. Location: Denton, Denton County, Texas, United States Date: January 21, 2020 (Tuesday) City of Denton: DENTON, TX, January 21, 2020 – At approximately 2:58 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 200 block of Inman St. in reference to a disturbance. Multiple 911 callers reported there was a man banging on numerous doors and yelling for someone to open the door. The callers further stated that the suspect had a frying pan in his hand, and that he was shattering all of the light fixtures in the hallway. As officers arrived on scene, they attempted to locate the suspect. While officers were standing at the base of the main staircase, another officer was obtaining information from a caller. It was during this time that the suspect emerged from an apartment and immediately began advancing down the stairs toward the officers. Officers observed that the suspect had a cleaver and a frying pan in his hands, and gave him multiple loud verbal commands to drop the weapons. The suspect continued to advance on officers, at which time an officer deployed his Taser. The Taser struck the suspect, who fell, but immediately got up and began advancing toward the officers again. An officer discharged his weapon and struck the suspect, who fell to the ground. Officers on scene immediately began life saving measures, and called for Denton Fire/Rescue. It was during this time, that another officer was found to have been stabbed by the suspect. The suspect and the injured officer were transported to a local hospital, where the suspect was pronounced deceased and the injured officer was admitted in stable condition. The officer’s injuries are non-life threatening. The suspect is not being identified at this time, pending the notification of family members. Both the injured officer and the officer who discharged his duty weapon are not being identified as this time. The injured officer is new to Denton but has over ten years of previous law enforcement experience, and the officer who discharged his weapon has six years of service with the Denton Police Department. This Officer Involved Shooting is being investigated by the Texas Rangers, which is our standard practice, with a concurrent administrative investigation by Denton Police Department Internal Affairs. The officer involved will be placed on administrative duty, which is also standard practice, pending the outcome of the investigation. This is the early stages of the investigation, so this information is preliminary. This event is a tragedy to all involved, including the decedent and his family. *Update* DENTON, TX, Feb. 11, 2020 – The death of Darius “DJ” Tarver, who was shot and killed by a Denton Police officer on Jan. 21, is currently under criminal investigation by the Texas Rangers, with a concurrent administrative investigation being conducted by the Denton Police Department Internal Affairs. The investigation by the Texas Rangers will evaluate whether any criminal violations of law occurred. The Internal Affairs investigation will determine whether use of force was appropriate. Upon conclusion of the investigation, the Rangers will present their findings to a Denton County Grand Jury. Until that process is concluded, the City of Denton or Denton Police Department cannot comment to ensure the integrity of the investigation and the process. The death of Darius is tragic for all involved, including our community at large. Our collective hearts go out to the Tarver family, as well as friends and students at the University of North Texas.

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