Watch: Bodycam video released after Fort Worth police shoot man who fired at officer

The Fort Worth Police Department released body-camera footage Thursday of a shooting March 14 that hospitalized a suspect who is charged with shooting at an officer outside his home.

The suspect, Robert Ramos, 64, is in stable condition, police said Thursday.

Police received a 911 call at about 7:40 p.m. March 14 from a woman who said her husband, Ramos, was intoxicated, was making threats, and was armed with a handgun.

“My husband’s been drinking all day and I asked him to leave and he doesn’t want to leave and he was threatening me,” the woman said in audio of the 911 call released by police. “He also found my gun that was in the safe.”

The woman told Ramos she was calling the police and, “He said, ‘Go ahead because there is going to be a battle’,” the caller told a 911 dispatcher.

The woman left the residence and was parked down the street, according to the call.

Police responded to the 5600 block of Wedgworth Road. The department’s Crisis Intervention Team was also notified and was responding to the scene but did not arrive before shots were fired.

Ramos was standing in the front yard holding a handgun when officers arrived, according to police

“Because of the threat posed to the public by Ramos, officers had to take action immediately to make sure they protected the citizens in the area,” said Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes said at a press conference Thursday.

One officer took cover behind a tree across the street from the front of the house and tried to engage in conversation with Ramos, Noakes said.

“Let me talk to you, Robert,” the officer is heard saying in the bodycam footage.

“You’re OK, Robert,” the officer said in the footage at 7:58 p.m. The officer proceeded to ask if Ramos was “all right.”

Three officers and a sergeant stood along a wall on the side of the house while the officer across the street continued to speak to Ramos.

The first officer spoke with Ramos for about 20 minutes while Ramos continued to walk around the front yard armed with a handgun, Noakes said at the news conference.

The first officer is heard in the footage repeatedly asking Ramos to “put it down” in reference to the handgun. Ramos is then heard cursing at the officer who asked him to the put his weapon down.

Ramos is heard firing three gunshots at the officer who was trying to assist him at 8:18 p.m. in the video, Noakes said. The officer was not hit.

Two officers who were on the side of the residence moved toward Ramos and fired at him, according to Noakes. The first officer also returned fire with his rifle.

Ramos was shot and fell to the ground, and officers immediately moved in to provide medical aid, according to Noakes. Medical personnel responded to the scene.

Ramos was taken to a hospital, where he remains in stable condition. No officers or other people were injured.

“Police officers don’t face gunfire every day they come to work, but they go to work every day knowing they might,” Noakes said. “This is another example of the inherent dangers faced by four police officers when they go out every day to serve our communities.”

Ramos is being charged with aggravated assault against a public servant.

“I wanna say how proud I am of the actions of the officers that I saw in this video,” Noakes said. “They were patient, they were compassionate, they were professional. They showed empathy. They also showed bravery. They put themselves in harm’s way to protect citizens. And when they heard gunfire, they moved toward the gunfire instead of away from it. That’s indicative of these very dedicated work our officers do on a daily basis.”

The three officers who opened fire at Ramos have returned to work, according to Noakes.

The investigation is ongoing. The results will be handed over to the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office to present to a grand jury, which is standard procedure when officers are involved in a shooting, Noakes said.