Video and 911 calls released by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office provide a timeline of events leading up to an off-duty deputy shooting a man during a disturbance. The calls reveal that the deputy identified himself as a police officer and gave a command to stop before firing his weapon. The man was not armed at the time of the shooting. The sheriff’s office also confirmed that the man had a high blood alcohol content and tested positive for drugs. The deputy will not face charges, according to the county attorney. KETV reported
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has released video footage and 911 phone calls that provide a detailed timeline of events leading up to an off-duty deputy shooting and injuring a man during a disturbance. The incident occurred on October 28 near 108th and Maple streets. Deputy Kevin Clark shot Daveyon Sherman, 27, just before 5 a.m. The sheriff’s office has confirmed that Clark identified himself as a “police officer” and gave a command to “stop” before the shooting. They have also confirmed that Sherman was not armed at the time of the incident.
The video footage shows the occupants of a vehicle drinking and a verbal dispute between Sherman and the vehicle’s occupants, which escalated into a disturbance. Deputy Clark, who was on his way to work, encountered the disturbance and called for backup before returning to the scene and deciding to intervene.
According to Clark’s call to 911, a woman identified as Sherman’s girlfriend, Ahado Hamadi, was seen swinging her purse at Sherman. Clark stated in his interview that Sherman had Hamadi “in a bear hug” and appeared to be trying to force her into the vehicle, which he interpreted as a possible kidnapping. However, Hamadi stated in her interview that Sherman never laid a hand on her and it was only a verbal argument.
The 911 calls reveal that Clark exited his personal vehicle, identified himself as a “police officer,” and gave a verbal command to “stop.” Sherman and Hamadi claim that Clark said, “I’ll shoot you,” but this cannot be confirmed by the video or the 911 call. Sherman also stated in his interview that Clark did not identify himself as a police officer.
Clark stated that he drew his weapon, which he keeps on his right hip next to his badge, to ensure that anyone who sees him draw his weapon will also see his badge. An “escalating interaction” between Clark and Sherman led to Clark firing his weapon. According to the 911 calls, Sherman started yelling, “Shoot me!” Clark said that Sherman walked toward him with his “fists balled up,” and Clark began backing away before firing one shot at Sherman.
Clark believed that he could be overpowered and have his weapon taken due to being outnumbered at the scene. Crime scene photos provided by the sheriff’s office show that Sherman had to move approximately 20 feet to reach Clark. After the shooting, Clark rendered aid to Sherman and identified himself as a police officer again, according to the 911 calls.
Last week, Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine stated that based on his review of the investigation, he could preliminarily determine that Clark acted appropriately. The sheriff’s office has announced that Kleine formally advised them that Clark will not face charges.
According to the sheriff’s office, Sherman, who was driving the vehicle, had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .231 when he was tested at the hospital about 45 minutes after the incident. He also tested positive for Benzodiazepines and cannabinoids. Authorities discovered a bottle of Hennessy and a baggie of cocaine in a purse in the vehicle.
Sherman has a history of domestic violence against Hamadi, the mother of his child. He currently faces three charges of second-degree domestic violence assault and one charge of first-degree domestic violence assault. An additional assault strangulation charge was dropped. Sherman also has a felony arrest warrant for violating his probation for a domestic violence charge.
While the criminal investigation is complete, Clark is still on leave as the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office conducts an internal investigation..