Body camera video shows Raleigh police warned armed man 7 times before shooting him

Body camera video released Friday shows the moments before and after a Raleigh police officer shot a man in February on Rock Quarry Road.

On Feb. 10 police responded to the 300 block of Rock Quarry Road near Vardaman Street after a report of shots being fired. When they got there, they found two women who had been shot and confronted Ranses Vargas.

The police report on the incident said Vargas had been in a relationship with one of the women.

As officers arrive, they can be heard on video asking, "Who is shooting? Who is shooting?" and identifying themselves.

The video shows a man walking across a parking lot near a red truck as police ask him to drop his weapon. At least a half dozen times, the officer can be heard telling the man to drop the gun and put his hands on his head. As the man walks around the truck, the video shows the officer open fire.

According to the police report, Officer M.L. Berg fired 18 shots.

As officers approach the truck, the video shows a woman get out of it saying, "You just shot my boyfriend."

The officer walks to the back of the truck and finds Vargas on the ground with a gun beside him. It shows another man, inside the truck, who was also hit by gunfire.

"Watching that video, it made me think – what if someone’s grandmother was in the backseat of that car? What if their kids were in the backseat of that car?" said social justice advocate Kerwin Pittman. "This officer clearly demonstrated a reckless disregard not only for human life, but innocent bystanders’ lives."

None of those shot had life-threatening injuries, police said.

Vargas is charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury.