OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING WHEN SUSPECT REACHES TOWARD HANGUN 1. A Taser is an option but never a guarantee. Officers must always be prepared with a backup plan including lethal-force coverage when circumstances warrant it. 2. Law-enforcement encounters are dynamic, and crossfire can develop in seconds. Every officer is responsible for recognizing and avoiding it. That begins with properly positioning yourself during the initial contact and continually adjusting as the incident unfolds based on the locations of your fellow officers. Before firing, officers must know their target and backdrop, move to a safer angle when possible, or hold their fire until they have a clear and responsible shot. Backstory: On September 15, 2026, Alliance Police responded to Wally Armour’s car dealership after 67-year-old Joseph Derrico Jr. allegedly argued with employees and displayed a handgun toward one of them. Officers located Derrico inside his vehicle a short time later on Johnson Avenue. They repeatedly ordered him to turn off the vehicle and place his hands on the roof. Police said Derrico refused to comply. An officer deployed a Taser, but it did not incapacitate him. The newly released body-camera footage shows the officers opening fire as Derrico reached toward a handgun. Derrico was pronounced dead at the scene. A firearm was recovered, and no officers were injured.