New body cam footage being used in civil lawsuit against Burlington police

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    BURLINGTON, IA (WQAD ) — Marquis Jones was shot and killed by police during a traffic stop in October of 2017.

The officers involved have been cleared, but because of newly released extended video, the Jones’ family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

Marquis Jones was pulled over for his music being too loud on October 1st.

When he fled from his car two officers chased after him

In the original body cam footage officer, Joshua Riffel yells when he sees Jones with a gun saying, “He’s got a gun chip!”

In new body cam footage from officer Chiprez, Jones can be seeing running ahead while Chiprez yells at him to drop his weapon. Attorney David O`Brien says this new footage proves officer Chiprez knew Jones was unarmed when he fired the shot that killed him.

“As he comes around the corner, he can see Jones running away and he yells drop it so you can assume he sees the gun in his hand because he tells him to drop it.”

It is at this time that Chiprez first fires off seven shots.

Jones keeps running and Chiprez approaches where the gun was later found.

O’Brien says, “You`ll see that he fires seven shots then runs right up to the point where Marquis was when he dropped the gun. He gets within eight, ten, twelve feet of the gun then he goes in a different direction to try and cut him off around the other side.”

“O`Brien says Chiprez had to have seen the gun on the ground before following after Jones and firing the shot that killed him.

After an ambulance has been called officers approach the gun in the grass.

It is because of this footage that the family has filed a wrongful death law suit.

O’Brien says, “Mr. Chiprez is going to have to explain at trial.”

Officer Chiprez said in his statement that he did not know that Jones was unarmed.

The Iowa Attorney General saw this footage and ruled that the shooting was justified based on several factors including Jones’s criminal history and information gathered by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

The Burlington Police Department released a statement on the new body cam footage saying, “The City does not comment on pending litigation, however, it is the City`s policy to follow the law, including court orders, with respect to which records it releases to the public.”

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