A knifeman choking his seven-year-old little brother was shot dead by a cop.
Shocking bodycam footage shows the moment a police officer acted as Mario Camacho had the boy in a chokehold.
The terrifying stand-off unfolded when officers arrived at a property to find the suspect barricaded in a bedroom with the young boy.
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Video from the deputy’s body-worn camera captures him shouting orders for the man to open the door and release the child – but there was no reply.
After repeated warnings went ignored, the officer kicked at the door, bursting it open on the third attempt.
Inside, the suspect could be seen hiding behind a makeshift barricade, wearing a motorbike helmet and clutching the terrified youngster as a human shield.
He kept the boy in a tight chokehold and refused to show his hands.
“I’ll kill you,” the deputy warned, if he didn’t “let me see your hands right now”.
When the man failed to comply, the deputy fired a single shot and both brothers fell to the floor.
The officer immediately rushed to the child, who was shaken but unharmed, while another deputy moved in on the downed suspect.
The horrifying confrontation happened in Brandon, east of Tampa, Florida, US, on Sunday (2 Nov), as reported by Need To Know.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office later identified the suspect as 27-year-old Camacho, who was wearing two tactical vests with ballistic plates and armed with a knife.
Camacho was struck once in the head and later died in hospital.
The officer who fired the fatal shot was named as 25-year-old Deputy Antonio Gonzalez, a nearly six-year veteran of the force.
He has since been placed on leave pending a standard investigation.
The 911 call that sparked the ordeal was made by Camacho’s sister, who suffered minor injuries.
Police say the motive remains unclear, although local outlets report Camacho had previously faced two domestic-violence charges, was never convicted, and was believed to have struggled with mental health issues.
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