Police fire tear gas on crowd protesting fatal police shooting in Pennsylvania

Body camera footage shows Ricardo Munoz charging officer with knife

Police in Pennsylvania have begun using teargas to disperse protesters in Lancaster, Pennsylvania who are demonstrating after officers shot and killed a local man.  

A Lancaster police officer shot and killed Ricardo Munoz, 27, on Sunday while responding to a domestic disturbance call, according to the Associated Press.  

According to police reports, Mr Munoz emerged from the house and began chasing the officers with a knife before he was shot and killed.  

The Lancaster Bureau of Police released body camera footage from the confrontation on Monday.  

The footage shows an officer approaching a house in response to a domestic disturbance call. Initially the police officer has a conversation with an individual through the house's screen door. A moment later a woman steps out of the door and steps to the side. Mr Munoz bursts through the door, which prompts the officer to begin sprinting down the sidewalk away from the house.  

The footage of the encounter, which appears below, is graphic and depicts the fatal shooting of Mr Munoz. Viewer discretion is advised. 

Mr Munoz sprints after the officer and appears to be holding a large knife. The officer turns around and fires several rounds into Mr Munoz, who then drops to the sidewalk.  

Mr Munoz died from his injuries at the scene.  

Local news sources reported that the officer who shot Mr Munoz was put on administrative leave.  

The killing has spawned protests in Lancaster, where hundreds gathered outside the city's police station and reportedly caused some damage to surrounding municipal property.  

Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams called for the protests to remain peaceful.  

"We ask that acts of protest remain peaceful as violence and destruction of property will become headlines and serve no purpose for the safety and wellbeing of our citizens and neighborhoods," she said.  

Mr Munoz was arrested in 2019 for attacking a group of four people with a knife.  

Lancaster police claim that in 2019, Mr Munoz was involved in a fight with a group of individuals that escalated into a brawl in which Mr Munoz was beaten and kicked. After the brawl ended, Mr Munoz left the scene and retrieved a knife from his backpack. He returned to the four individuals and began stabbing and slashing them.  

Police arrived and eventually subdued Mr Munoz with a taser.