Los Angeles Times
Officer Philip Brailsford shot Daniel Shaver after police issued physically contradictory commands to crawl forward while keeping his hands elevated.
AI-assisted summary of Body-Cam Video Of Daniel Shaver Shooting | Los Angeles Times — original source. Check the original for full context.
Source published:
Key ideas
- Daniel Shaver was fatally shot five times with an AR-15 rifle by Arizona police officer Philip Mitchell Brailsford in a hotel hallway on January 18, 2016. (0:03)
- The commanding officer established an intensely hostile environment, explicitly warning Shaver that any mistake or failure to follow instructions would likely result in him being shot. (0:11)
- During the high-stress encounter, Shaver was given physically contradictory commands, including being ordered to keep his hands in the air while simultaneously being told to crawl forward. (3:16)
- Officer Brailsford opened fire when Shaver, weeping and terrified, instinctively reached toward his waistband to pull up his slipping shorts while crawling. (3:16)
Detailed notes
## Background This video was published on YouTube by the Los Angeles Times on December 8, 2017. The description notes that the graphic body-cam footage depicts the fatal shooting of Daniel Shaver by Arizona police officer Philip Mitchell Brailsford in a hotel hallway, shared following Brailsford's acquittal of murder charges.
## TL;DR The footage documents a highly volatile police encounter in a hotel hallway where officers confront Daniel Shaver and a female companion. After detaining the woman, the commanding officer issues a series of aggressive, physically contradictory commands to Shaver under the constant threat of lethal force. Terrified and weeping, Shaver attempts to comply by crawling forward on the floor. When his hand instinctively reaches toward his waistband to pull up his slipping shorts, Officer Philip Brailsford fires five rounds from his AR-15 rifle, killing him.
## Atmosphere & style The atmosphere of the video is intensely hostile, chaotic, and terrifying, driven by the commanding officer's aggressive shouting and uncompromising demands. Watching the footage evokes a profound sense of dread as Shaver's desperate, tearful pleas for compliance contrast sharply with the rigid, high-stakes pressure of the police. The emotional arc builds with agonizing tension, culminating in a sudden and devastating burst of lethal violence.
## Bulletin - [00:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBUUx0jUKxc&t=3s) Daniel Shaver was fatally shot five times with an AR-15 rifle by Arizona police officer Philip Mitchell Brailsford in a hotel hallway on January 18, 2016. - [00:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBUUx0jUKxc&t=11s) The commanding officer established an intensely hostile environment, explicitly warning Shaver that any mistake or failure to follow instructions would likely result in him being shot. - [03:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBUUx0jUKxc&t=196s) During the high-stress encounter, Shaver was given physically contradictory commands, including being ordered to keep his hands in the air while simultaneously being told to crawl forward. - [03:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBUUx0jUKxc&t=196s) Officer Brailsford opened fire when Shaver, weeping and terrified, instinctively reached toward his waistband to pull up his slipping shorts while crawling.
## Key takeaways - [00:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBUUx0jUKxc&t=11s) Officers confront Daniel Shaver and a female companion in a hotel hallway, immediately ordering them face down onto the carpet. - [00:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBUUx0jUKxc&t=11s) The commanding officer establishes a highly punitive tone, warning that any mistake will carry a very severe possibility of being shot. - [00:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBUUx0jUKxc&t=11s) The officer aggressively silences Shaver's attempts to explain his situation, demanding absolute obedience and suspending standard courtesy. - [00:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBUUx0jUKxc&t=11s) Shaver is ordered to interlace his fingers on top of his head and cross his left foot over his right foot while lying prone. - [01:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBUUx0jUKxc&t=101s) The officers first focus on detaining the female companion, ordering her to rise to her knees and crawl down the hallway toward them. - [01:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBUUx0jUKxc&t=101s) The female companion is successfully secured in handcuffs and cleared from the immediate line of fire. - [03:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBUUx0jUKxc&t=196s) The officer turns his attention back to Shaver, warning him not to make a mistake as he prepares to move him. - [03:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBUUx0jUKxc&t=196s) When Shaver's legs separate while trying to kneel, the sergeant angrily threatens to shoot him if it happens again. - [03:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBUUx0jUKxc&t=196s) A terrified and trembling Shaver pleads for his life, but the officer shouts over him to listen to instructions. - [03:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBUUx0jUKxc&t=196s) The sergeant issues contradictory demands, ordering Shaver to keep his hands straight up in the air but also to crawl toward the officers. - [03:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBUUx0jUKxc&t=196s) Shaver is warned that if he falls, he must fall directly onto his face rather than reaching down to brace himself. - [03:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBUUx0jUKxc&t=196s) While weeping and crawling forward, Shaver's shorts begin to slip down, prompting him to instinctively reach toward his waistband. - [03:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBUUx0jUKxc&t=196s) Officer Philip Brailsford fires five rounds from his AR-15 rifle at close range, fatally shooting Shaver in the hallway.
## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBUUx0jUKxc&t=11s) Initial Confrontation and Warnings in the Hallway
Officers confront Daniel Shaver and a female companion outside their hotel room door, immediately ordering them face down onto the hallway carpet. When the commanding officer demands to know who else remains inside the room, Shaver insists that no one else is present. Sensing hesitation or confusion, the sergeant cuts off any further explanation with sharp hostility, asserting that the subjects have already demonstrated an inability to follow basic directions. He establishes an intensely punitive environment, laying out strict ground rules and warning that any deviation will result in lethal force: “If you make a mistake, another mistake, there's a very severe possibility you're going to get shot. Do you understand?”
When Shaver attempts to respond or clarify his situation, the officer aggressively silences him, making it clear that standard conversational courtesy is suspended: “Shut up! I'm not here to be tactful and diplomatic with you. You listen, you obey.” The officer instructs Shaver to place both hands on top of his head with fingers interlaced and to cross his left foot over his right foot while lying prone. After confirming that no one else is in the room, the officer asks if both individuals are sober, demanding that they look directly down into the carpet and warning that any movement whatsoever will be interpreted as a deadly threat that they might not survive.
[01:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBUUx0jUKxc&t=101s) Detaining the Female Companion
The commanding officer directs his attention to the woman, ordering Shaver to remain completely motionless with his eyes fixed on the floor while she is brought forward. Addressing the woman, the officer reiterates that she must not speak, instructing her to maintain crossed feet, place her palms flat on the carpet, push herself up into a kneeling position, and raise both hands high into the air.
Once upright on her knees, she is commanded to crawl down the carpeted hallway toward the officers' position. The camera records her slowly crawling past the hotel room doors until she reaches the officers at the threshold of the hallway corner. The officers direct her to move toward them, quickly taking hold of her, conducting a pat-down, and securing her in handcuffs before clearing her from the immediate line of fire.
[03:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBUUx0jUKxc&t=196s) Conflicting Commands, Escalation, and Fatal Shooting
With the woman secured, the officer turns his attention back to Daniel Shaver, ordering him to undergo the same sequence while remaining under the immediate threat of gunfire: “Young man, listen to my instructions and do not make a mistake.” Shaver is ordered to keep his legs crossed, place his hands flat on the floor, and push up to a kneeling position. As Shaver attempts to maneuver his body upright, his legs separate, prompting an immediate shout of anger from the sergeant, who warns, “If you do that again, we're shooting you, do you understand?” Visibly terrified and trembling, Shaver pleads for his life, but the officer shouts over him: “Listen to my instructions! Don't talk, listen!”
The sergeant then issues a series of physically contradictory demands. He orders Shaver to raise his hands straight up into the air and warns that if he falls, he must fall directly onto his face rather than brace himself: “Your hands go back in the small of your back or down, we are going to shoot you. Do you understand me?” Immediately following the command to keep his hands straight up in the air, the officer shouts, “Crawl towards me!” Weeping and begging, Shaver attempts to crawl down the hallway on his hands and knees. As his shorts slip down and his right hand instinctively reaches toward his waistband to hitch them up, Officer Philip Brailsford discharges five rounds from his AR-15 rifle at close range, fatally wounding Shaver in the hallway.
- Commands given to Shaver required keeping his hands elevated in the air while simultaneously crawling on the floor. - Shaver was explicitly warned that moving his hands toward his waistband or small of his back would result in officers opening fire. - Officer Philip Brailsford opened fire as Shaver reached toward his waistband while crawling forward.
## Mentioned Daniel Shaver, Philip Mitchell Brailsford, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Arizona police, AR-15
## Video description GRAPHIC FOOTAGE: Daniel Shaver was fatally shot by Arizona police on Jan. 18, 2016, in the hallway of the hotel where he was staying. Philip Mitchell Brailsford, the officer who killed Shaver, was acquitted of murder charges on Dec. 7, 2017. Story: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-daniel-shaver-police-video-20171208-story.html
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[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBUUx0jUKxc)