Berkeley police release bodycam footage in officer shooting of suspect with chain

Body-worn camera footage was released Friday by Berkeley police following the shooting last month of a man armed with a metal chain.

Vincent Bryant, 51, of San Francisco, was shot on the night of Jan. 2 in the courtyard of the Tang Center at 2222 Bancroft Way. Police located Bryant there after he allegedly robbed a Walgreens at 2190 Shattuck Ave.

Bryant is expected to live. Alameda County prosecutors have charged him with armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and resisting and executive officer.

Officers responded at 8:40 p.m. Jan. 2 after someone reported the robbery by a person with a metal chain.

Bryant had selected about $14 of goods from the store and allegedly left only $1 to pay for the items before walking to the exit, according to probable cause statement by police Officer Christopher Bonaventure.

A store employee confronted Bryant and told him he must pay more, but Bryant allegedly pulled out a metal chain and threatened to break the store windows, Bonaventure wrote.

The employee left the store and called police. Bryant also left the store.

In the camera footage from one officer, Bryant appears to pull out the chain when he sees the officer and for at least several minutes officers tell Bryant to put down the chain.

One officer tries to deescalate the stalemate by talking with Bryant and asking him to sit. He was standing and pacing. Police said Bryant acted erratically.

To arrest Bryant, officers approached him from another side of the courtyard with foam baton guns ahead of an officer with a firearm. As officers approach, Bryant comes toward the officers and they open fire with foam batons and the gun.

At least one bullet hits Bryant. He’s taken to a hospital for treatment.

Police identified Officer Madison Albrandt as the officer who fired her gun. She was placed on administrative leave after the shooting. The body camera video from police can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TjRx5yl6iQ&feature=youtu.be. Footage from the perspective of Albrandt’s body camera begins at 24:46.