Bryce Dion, a 38-year-old crew member for the long-running TV series Cops, was shot and killed Tuesday night while filming a shootout between three Omaha police and an armed robbery suspect at a Wendy's restaurant, police said.
A photo of Bryce Dion, @CopsTV audio person, shot and killed in police shootout with robber armed with airsoft gun.
Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said on Wednesday the robbery suspect opened fire first and the officers had no choice but to respond. The suspect, 32-year-old Cortez Washington, was also killed.
Omaha police revealed stills from a video of the incident and an image of the gun used by the suspect.
The suspect shot at police with a pellet gun that looked and sounded real, said Schmaderer .
#opd pictures from incident. via @OPDOfcWiese
Police said Dion was struck once in the Wendy's entryway after Washington tried to flee the scene. He was wearing a bulletproof vest, but was hit in an unprotected area on the arm. Dion was shot by a police officer, the Associated Press reports.
"My concern with my officers is that they are taking this very hard," Schmaderer said. "Bryce was their friend."
Dion worked on Cops for seven years and had recently been promoted, the Los Angeles Times reports.
I'm counting about 17 bullet holes through the windows. Dion is believed to have been standing near the left window.