RELEASE: Full EMS + Police radio traffic from the 9/21/2020 fatal shooting of Dearian Bell by Atlanta PD. https://www.atlscanner.com/apd-fatal-shooting-of-dearian-bell-9-21-2020/ #ATLScanner

This has been through a few iterations to add context, I am still working on adding the information to bodycam footage by syncing timecodes but I couldn't keep pushing it back, it needs to get out.

The call was dispatched at 19:25, all units got on-scene at 19:36. From the bodycam footage, it is immediately apparent at 19:40 that the subject is having a mental health crisis, but officers did nothing but radically escalate the situation.

At 19:40, the subject is in the driver's seat of a car that they do not have the keys to. Officers are outside, there is absolutely no reason to engage instead of de-escalating and waiting for EMS. Instead they try to wrestle him out of the vehicle and fail.

19:41 - subject has a gun, his wife tells officers it's unloaded (which police later verify via radio call at 19:44). The officer who ends up fatally shooting him says "We're not finna play these fucking games with a gun, we need to get his shit together."

19:42 - The subject pleads to be sent to Grady "or i'm gonna get killed today." One officer attempts to get him out of the car while the one who later shoots him says "Fucking idiot, bro" at 19:43. With multiple officers having weapons drawn, subject gets out and runs.

19:43:13 - Officer 1: "I don't give a fuck about him running." Subject still in a mental health crisis now yells "Now you're gonna have to put me down!" Officer 1 responds "You hear him? Alright, that's all I need to know." Her mind was set on murder before any request for help.

19:44 - Officer 2 radios in request for Grady crisis, reports unloaded weapon, APD supervisor en route. While that is happening, Officer 1 shouts at subject "If you pull it [the unloaded gun], I promise you, if you pull some shit out, bro, I promise you."

Immediately after, she shouts to another officer "What is that in his hand y'all? Is that a gun? Thank you, that's all I needed." A sound consistent with unholstering her weapon is heard immediately after.

The subject's wife is again stressing to officers that the subject is holding her gun, that it's unloaded which was again confirmed by Officer 2 at 19:44.

Meanwhile, APD dispatch appears to have submitted a call to Grady to get EMS to the location. The subject points the gun at his own head which is not relayed to dispatch until two minutes later.

19:46 - officers: "This dude is really trying to get shot, like this is ridiculous." "Yeah he's trying to get shot, it's *stupid.*" Male officer appears to indicate that he doesn't want that to be the outcome.

19:47 - Officer 1 shouts to the subject to put the gun down. Subject replies "You gonna kill me" and officer 1 replies "OK." According to radio traffic the subject is holding the unloaded gun to his own head. He again pleads for Grady to no response.

At around 19:49, all early watch units are either en route or already present at the scene. Subject starts approaching the vehicle to get his phone, Officer 1 repeatedly screams at the top of her lungs for subject to drop the gun, he backs away.

At no point so far have I seen nor heard report of the gun pointed anywhere but at the subject's own head or the ground. Officers move in, Officer 1 in front behind a tree. Subject picks up a tree stump or something similar with both hands, Officer 1 screams about gun.