Winter Park police release body-camera footage of deadly police shooting at wedding


Winter Park police released body-camera footage on Wednesday that shows the moments leading up to and after a deadly shooting at a wedding in February.

Daniel Knight, 39, was shot and killed by police at his niece's wedding on Feb. 19 after a call was made reporting an "irate" and "violent" guest, according to police.

Just over a minute into the one of the officer's videos, at least seven shots can be heard.

Knight died in the hospital.

Family members were able to get Knight outside the ballroom before police arrived at the Winter Parks Event Center. When police arrived, family members can be heard saying, "He's OK, he's our brother."

Police can be heard telling the other guests to step back. The friends and family told police that Knight had  PTSD. According to Channel 9, this was from a bad interaction with law enforcement when he was a teenager.

On the video, Knight punches and knocks down one officer, who hit his head and took about a minute to get back up.

While he's down, another officer is heard saying that he took a taser out. A woman says that Knight is "just drunk."

Knight also knocked down the second officer, who opened fire and shot Knight from the ground. Several screams and cries can be heard before and after Knight was shot. One woman said that she was a nurse and could help him.

Knight's family released a statement saying that the shooting was unjustified and that they are working with a lawyer and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to get the truth out, according to News 6.

"He was a kind, gentle soul. His only crime that night was drinking and having a good time with his family," the statement reads. "He is not a drinker and works 16-hour shifts nearly every day to support his family. His niece’s wedding was the first day he was able to come out and celebrate in a long time."

Winter Park city leaders told Channel 9 that FDLE had to interview more than 100 guests who were at the wedding before deciding to release the video.

The officer who shot Knight is on administrative leave while the first officer, who was punched, is back to work.

Bride Janisha Paul told FOX 35 News that she was devastated over her uncle's death.

"He was killed… in front of me. His blood was all over my wedding dress," Paul said. "I had to stay there for hours with this on my dress."



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