By Beacon Staff
New footage was released on Monday (July 6) in the police shooting of Marquis Jones on Monday, July 6.
The shooting occurred on Oct. 1, 2017. The video was released by Dave O’Brien Law on YouTube. The law firm is representing Jones’ children and his mother Altovese Williams in a wrongful death civil lawsuit against the city and police. That trial is set for March 2021.
The Burlington Police Department released the new footage Monday in response to an order from the chief U.S. magistrate judge overseeing the case.
The video is extremely graphic, showing the shooting and the final moments of Jones’ life after he was shot by Burlington police officer Chris Chiprez during a foot chase. The video is age-restricted on YouTube by request from the law office representing Jones’ family, which means you must sign in to a Google account to view it.
The video, which is just over 12 minutes long, is an extension of Chiprez’s bodycam footage that was released by the BPD over two years ago. The original bodycam video released by police was about one minute in length and stops after Chiprez’s final shot, which hits Jones in the chest.
The incident began when Chiprez and officer Joshua Riffell pulled Marquis Jones over for loud music on October 1, 2017.
In the bodycam footage, the other officer, Joshua Riffel, yells when he sees Jones with a gun saying, “He’s got a gun Chip!” Jones can be seen running ahead while Chiprez yells at him to drop his weapon.
The Iowa Attorney General, who has access to the full footage, ruled the shooting was justified.
"The city does not comment on pending litigation, however, it is the city’s policy to follow the law, including court orders, concerning which records it releases to the public,” the Burlington Police Department said in a statement.