YOUR AD HERE »

Video of the officer-involved shooting of Gabriel Strickland: a minute-by-minute narrative

Staff report
VideoNarrative-GVU-012420-a
In this body cam footage, Gabriel Strickland can be seen pointing his Airsoft gun at officers.
Courtesy NCSO and GVPD

Editor’s note: Due to the graphic nature of footage on the officer-involved shooting released by local law enforcement, The Union has edited portions of the video. This video contains the sound of gunfire. Viewer discretion is advised.

On Thursday, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office and Grass Valley Police Department released an edited “critical incident video” of the fatal shooting of Gabriel Strickland on Jan. 1, 2020. The video contains audio of the initial 911 call as well as footage from both body-worn cameras and dash-cam footage from a responding deputy’s vehicle.

Officials have said that Nevada County Sheriff’s deputies Brandon Tripp and Taylor King, and Grass Valley Police Officer Brian Hooper, have been placed on paid administrative leave.



The video is 9 minutes long and represents a small portion of the hours of raw video footage.

The following is an annotation of the video, including portions that The Union has edited for graphic content.



The video contains footage of the same event from different officers at different angles.

Deputy Tripp’s footage

Minute 1:22: Audio of the 911 call in which a man reports a man walking on Squirrel Creek Road with a gun. Surveillance video from a business shows Gabriel Strickland with what appears to be a shotgun on his shoulder. That later was found to be an Airsoft rifle.

2:32: A responding deputy can be heard on audio telling the dispatcher he is at Walker Drive and Oak Street.

“He’s not dropping it,” the deputy says. “He’s saying it’s a BB gun, we can’t tell.”

2:49: Deputy Brandon Tripp’s in-car camera footage begins as he drives down Walker Drive, Strickland is on the right side of the road walking away from the vehicle. Strickland is holding the gun with its butt at hip height, pointing to the right.

3:30: Strickland stops and is looking at Deputy Taylor King, who is somewhat obscured to the right on Oak Street. Tripp can be heard yelling multiple times to “Drop the gun! Drop the f-ing gun!”

3:54: Strickland gestures, then touches the tip of the gun, saying something inaudible.

3:57: Tripp responds, “Drop it then! Put it down.”

4:18: Strickland yells something inaudible, to which Tripp responds, “Hey buddy, drop the gun please. Drop the gun please. We don’t want to shoot you.”

4:35: Strickland yells, “You guys don’t give a f— — and I don’t either.”

4:37: Tripp responds, “We do. We just want to talk to you. Hey — you have a gun in your hand. We want to talk to you.”

4:46: Strickland hits the barrel, saying, “It’s a BB gun.”

Tripp responds, “Drop it! Drop the gun!”

4:52: Strickland says, “You guys don’t give a f—.”

Tripp responds with more commands to drop the gun, then says, “We don’t know that’s a fake gun. We don’t know that’s a fake gun, buddy.” Strickland says, “It is, man.”

“We don’t know that, you could have painted that,” Tripp says. “Please drop the gun. We don’t want to kill you.”

5:25: Strickland says, “You don’t understand, that I really don’t give a f—.”

5:30: Tripp says, “Yes, we — I care. Listen. I care.”

Strickland yells, “I’m not doing nothing wrong.” He then yells, “What am I doing wrong?”

5:43: Tripp repeats the command to drop the gun, then can be heard directing Grass Valley officers to get out of the cross fire.

6:06: Grass Valley Police Officer Brian Hooper can be seen approaching on the right with a Taser, as Tripp says, “I’m on you if you want to move up, somebody less lethal.”

6:40: Strickland appears to lift the gun and point it as Tripp continues to yell at him to drop the gun.

6:41: Gunshots are heard as one officer appears to be trying to knock gun away. Officers rush in to disarm and detain Strickland.

Officer Ball’s footage

7:16: Officer Conrad Ball’s body-worn camera footage begins, as he approaches Strickland. Strickland can be seen on his knees as officers shout commands to drop the gun.

7:36: As Strickland moves the gun into a firing position, Officer Brian Hooper fires a Taser, with no effect. Strickland levels and points the gun at Hooper.

7:40: Strickland points the gun at Ball and a pop is heard, followed by multiple gunshots. Officers charge Strickland as he drops the gun, yelling not to move. Strickland can be heard saying, “I’m not moving.”

Officer Grube’s footage

8:16: Footage from Officer Dennis Grube’s body-work camera begins as he runs past Deputy Tripp into a side yard.

8:30: Grube repeatedly yells “Gabe, put it down. Gabe, Gabe, don’t do it.”

8:55: Tripp, Ball and Hooper can be seen approaching Strickland, shouting to drop the gun before two pops are heard — possibly the Taser — and then gunshots. Officers then rush Strickland, who is in a sitting position with the gun knocked away and to the side.

The Union is a sister publication of the Sierra Sun.


Support Local Journalism

 

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and beyond make the Sierra Sun's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news.