New Years Day 2016 was not exactly a pleasant day for Officer Quincy Smith of the Estill Police Department. Smith was called out to investigate a "suspicious person." A local shop owner reported that a person dressed in camouflage and a red bandana seemed to be stealing groceries from patrons as they left the store, according to the New York Post. Smith simply did his job and arrived at the scene to confront the "suspicious person." Smith was wearing his glasses at the time of the encounter. He had a tiny bodycam attached to his glasses and managed to film the entire encounter.
The encounter with Malcolm Orr
The video of Smith's encounter with Malcolm Orr can be seen at the bottom of this article. In the video, one can see how Smith first approaches Orr. When Smith arrives on the scene, Orr is on the phone. Orr starts walking away from Smith and Smith politely asks Orr to stand still so that he can talk to him. It is then that Smith notices Orr's hand in his pocket, seemingly holding a weapon. Smith warns Orr that he will use his Taser on him if need be. However, before Smith can do anything else, Orr turns and opens fire, firing 8 shots, according to the Sun.
The horrifying footage then shows Quincy running back to his car, hands covered in blood, calling for help. The video captures Smith's wait for help, his raspy breathing and his messages to the dispatch, telling fellow officers to tell his family how much he loves them, according to a transcription by the New York Post.
The shots broke both of Smith's arms, passed through his upper torso and also cut through a vein in his neck. The video shows how J Tompkins, a passerby tries to help Smith in what he believes are his last breaths. A woman's voice - supposedly from a phone call - is heard in the video, praying desperately for Smith's safety.
The verdict
The brave Officer Quincy Smith survived to tell the story. And better yet, he could show the story using video footage. This Tuesday the court saw the video and listened to Quincy's story. They also saw the eight bullet casings from the eight shots that Orr fired. It didn't take long for the jury to make their decision.
After 45 minutes, Malcolm Orr was found guilty of attempted murder and being in the possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison. He should really just be thankful that Quincy survived. otherwise, Orr would have been facing the death penalty.
Smith's video is a stroke of genius in law enforcement. It seems that Officer Quincy Smith is a man bent on justice and on embracing modern methods of law enforcement and is bravery is to be commended.
