Video shows Pasco murder suspect ready to throw knife before officers shoot him
Pasco murder suspect Gabriel Artz appeared ready to throw a knife at police officers when they opened fire 10 days ago, killing him.
Wednesday, Pasco police released footage from officer body cameras and dashcams taken during the March 13 confrontation near the intersection of Sixth Avenue and Lewis Street.
The nine-minute Critical Incident Community Briefing created by the police department reveals new details about Officer Jasen McClintock and Officer Jeremy Jones’ encounter with the 30-year-old suspect.
They were responding to a 911 call about a knife attack at 11:40 a.m. at the intersection.
In the call, which was included in the video, a man said he thought they would need an ambulance and that one of the men had a knife.
Body camera video shows two officers approach a collapsed man. The officer calls several times to the man in a blue plaid shirt, asking if he’s OK.
Investigators have previously said Miguel Cortez-Palafox, 42, of Pasco, was alive when they arrived, but he died shortly afterward.
Next, a police car dash camera shows Officer Jones pull up in an alleyway where Artz is standing.
Artz walks up to the SUV, and Jones drives away as he tells emergency dispatchers that the man just stabbed his window.
The officer circles around and gets out of his patrol car at the same time Officer McClintock also approaches Artz.
While the body camera lenses are blocked by the officers’ arms during the shooting, what happened is caught on one of the dash cameras.
In the video, Artz can be seen coming toward the officers while they yell at him to drop the long-bladed knife. At the last moment, Artz pulls his arm back above his head.
He looks like he’s about to throw the knife when the two officers fire.
They took him into custody and then provided first aid until paramedics arrived. He was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland where he died.
“The use of deadly force can be traumatic for all involved,” Sgt. Rigo Pruneda says in the video. “Each encounter is unique and requires officers to make split-second decisions during tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving circumstances.”
The stabbing and shooting are being investigated by the Regional Special Investigations Unit. The independent unit draws specially trained detectives from across the region to investigate officer-involved shootings in Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla counties.
The report will go to the county prosecutor to determine if the lethal force was justified.
Artz’s History
Artz, who appears to have grown up in Richland, had a history that included previous violent encounters with police.
A Herald search of his criminal history included convictions of burglary, illegal gun possession and assault dating back to 2006, according to court records.
Each of his cases as an adult he was ordered to be evaluated at Eastern State Hospital to see if he was competent to stand trial.
Each time, he was found legally competent.
In 2014, when he was upset about a meal he received at the Benton County jail in Kennewick. He refused to return to his cell and then grabbed Corrections Officer Jessica Bravethunder by the head and slammed her into a wall, according to a Tri-City Herald story at the time.
He also scratched Corrections Officer Jon Munoz on the neck. During the struggle, he armed himself with a pencil and tried to use it against the officers.
Artz eventually pleaded guilty to custodial assault and served 10 months in jail.
This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 12:20 PM.