28 Aug 2014

TV crew member killed by Omaha police – pictures

A crew member on a long-running reality show about the US police is killed by mistake as he is filming at the scene of a robbery.

Sound technician Bryce Dion, 38, was killed while filming an episode of US reality TV show Cops in Omaha, in Nebraska.

Dion and a cameraman were with a police team that was entering a fast food restaurant that was allegedly being robbed by 32-year-old Cortez Washington.

Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said: “As they entered, it became a chaotic scene. The cameraman made his way into the eating area and was able to hold the camera up. Bryce, Bryce Dion, got stuck in the vestibule where they entered.

“When they encountered the suspect, and gunfire ensued, and it’s a very dramatic video, when the gunfire ensued, Mr. Washington started exiting his way out, as you can see in that bottom picture there.

“Officers are returning fire, Bryce is in that vestibule and gets struck by a round.”

Dion and the armed robber were both killed by police fire. Police later discovered that Washington was using a type of pistol that doesn’t fire real bullets.

Cops which first aired in 1989, came to Omaha in June and planned to film in the city for one more week, officials said. The Cops’ crew travels across the United States documenting the work of law enforcement for its television show.