LAKELAND, Fla. – The Lakeland Police Department released surveillance video Monday morning of Lakeland City Commissioner Michael Dunn shooting a man he says was trying to steal a hatchet from the military surplus store he owns.
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The footage from Oct. 3 shows Dunn holding a gun while he and Christobal Lopez approach the door of Vets Army & Navy Surplus on North Florida Avenue. It then appears to show Dunn grab Lopez's left shoulder as Lopez was trying to open the door. Dunn then grabs Lopez's shirt before firing his gun.
Nobody is seen trying to render aid to Lopez after he was shot.
Lopez is seen laying face down on the concrete at the entrance of the store after the shooting, which is where police said they found Lopez, 50, when they arrived.
He was declared dead shortly afterward.
No arrests have been made.
State Attorney Brian Haas said his office was still investigating the shooting. He expects the investigation to be finished by the end of the week.
Dunn has been a Lakeland City Commissioner since January. The once outspoken advocate of gun rights and gun ownership has yet to comment publicly on the incident.
Reached by phone Monday evening, Dunn's attorney Rusty Franklin would not comment on the video or whether he believed it helped or hurt their defense, saying "we want to resolve this with as little public comment as possible.”
Dunn's chair sat empty at Monday evening's Lakeland city commission meeting. Asked to comment beforehand, many of his colleagues said they were waiting for the investigation to pan out before drawing any conclusions.
Lakeland Police Chief Larry Giddens released the below statement on Oct. 4.
We have received multiple requests for comments, reports, surveillance videos and evidence regarding the shooting at the Vets Army Navy Surplus store. Please understand this is an ongoing criminal investigation. We are working with the State Attorney's Office and the Medical Examiners Office, two wonderfully reputable agencies, to ensure this investigation is done in the most transparent, professional way possible. Until the investigation is complete, it would be inappropriate to comment further.
Police said Lopez and his father were homeless. He was buried Monday at Friendship Cemetery in Zolfo Springs, according to an obituary, which said he lived most of his life in Hardee County and worked as a laborer in agriculture. He had three brothers and four sisters.
10News reporters Sarah Rosario and Josh Sidorowicz contributed to this report.
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