Video Shows South Jersey Cops Fatally Shooting Man 45 Times (Graphic)

Footage from a police car dashcam was released this week showing police officers chasing then killing a man after firing 45 bullets on the Atlantic City streets.

The video was released Monday, two years after an Atlantic County grand jury declined to indict officers involved in the March 2014 police-involved shooting death of Antoquan T. Watson, 27, of Williamstown.

The video shows a 10-mile chase through several South Jersey communities, ending in Atlantic City where Watson, firing his own gun at police officers, was taken down.

"A nationally renowned expert on police use of force reviewed the evidence gathered during the course of the investigation, inspected the scene, and inspected all physical evidence," according to a statement from the Atlantic City Prosecutor's Office.

"This expert concluded that the use of force by police officers under these circumstances was lawful, and consistent with all applicable law enforcement guidelines and standard police training."

Here is the video; viewer discretion is advised for graphic content:

The chase happened on March 27, 2014, between 11:30 a.m. and noon, after Watson entered the La Escondida II Restaurant and Bar at 701 West Black Horse Pike in Pleasantville.

Watson went to the bar area of the establishment and ordered and drank two beers. He had been to the business on prior occasions and was recognized by employees there. Watson then attempted to pay for his beers with a credit card, which was refused by the issuer, according to the ACPO.

Watson then presented a second credit card, which was also refused. Ultimately, he paid for his drinks in cash. A waitress who had contact with Watson while he was at the bar said he appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and that he said that he was rich, according to the ACPO.

During the time that Watson was at the bar, there were at least 18-20 other patrons inside the establishment. One of them observed that Watson had a handgun on his person while he was at the counter paying his bill, the ACPO said. A number of other patrons told police they saw that Watson had a handgun in his right hand.

Watson did not point the handgun at anyone. Witnesses report that he had the gun pointed upward toward the ceiling. These observations are confirmed by video captured inside the restaurant, according to the ACPO.

In addition to making these visual observations, witnesses inside the restaurant said that Watson was muttering to himself while walking out of the restaurant, making such statements as, “I got this. I got this,” and “This is bull----.”

Once Watson was outside the restaurant, witnesses called the Pleasantville Police Department; dispatch records from the Pleasantville Police Department show the call from witnesses came in at 12:31 p.m. The first police unit arrived at the restaurant at 12:38 p.m., the ACPO said.

The first officer at the scene approached a black SUV in the restaurant’s parking lot while holding a department-issued shotgun, the ACPO said.

Watson, who was seated in the driver’s seat, ignored the officer’s directions to roll down the window and exit the car, the prosecutor said. Instead, Watson put the car in gear and pulled out of the parking lot on to the eastbound portion of the Black Horse Pike.

The Pleasantville officer then got into his marked police vehicle and began to pursue the vehicle. Other police vehicles from the Pleasantville Police Department joined in this pursuit, the ACPO said.

Watson drove his vehicle eastbound on the Black Horse Pike through Pleasantville and the West Atlantic City section of Egg Harbor Township into Atlantic City, reaching speeds between 50 and 85 miles per hour and running numerous red lights during the pursuit, authorities said. He eventually made a right turn off the Black Horse Pike on to West End Avenue in Atlantic City.

He then led police on a chase into the Ventnor Heights section of Ventnor City. He eventually turned his vehicle back on West End Avenue and proceeded back toward the Black Horse Pike. A marked Atlantic City police vehicle containing two Atlantic City police officers was stationary, blocking traffic at the intersection of West End Avenue and the Black Horse Pike, the ACPO said.

Watson then forced his vehicle through that intersection by ramming two cars. As he turned right on to Albany Avenue, he fired at least one round from his gun at the officers, the prosecutor said.

No police officer returned fire at that time, the ACPO said. After firing the round at the police officers, Watson proceeded over the Albany Avenue Bridge into Atlantic City. He then made an illegal left turn and proceeded through the casino district, toward the inlet section of Atlantic City.

Police officers from Pleasantville and Atlantic City continued their pursuit, the ACPO said.

Watson then collided with a car at an intersection. Watson’s vehicle skidded through the intersection, struck another car and came to rest across the double center line, half in the southbound and half in the northbound lanes of Atlantic Avenue, in a shopping and casino area known as “The Walk,” the ACPO said.

Watson got out of his car. As he did so, he held a handgun in his right hand, authorities said. As he was approached by one of the Pleasantville officers, who was giving him verbal commands to surrender, Watson raised his right hand and began firing the weapon in the direction of the officers.

A total of seven officers, three from Pleasantville and four from Atlantic City, fired their weapons at Watson. One Pleasantville officer fired four rounds from a shotgun as well as his department-issued handgun. The other six officers fired only their department-issued handguns.

During interviews conducted in the course of the investigation, a number of these officers said they feared Watson was wearing body armor due to the fact that he appeared to have sustained a number of gunshot wounds but was able to remain standing, the ACPO said.

An autopsy of the body was conducted on March 28 and March 29, 2014.

The autopsy revealed that he sustained a total of 45 gunshot wounds. The Medical Examiner concluded that the fatal wound was a gunshot to the top of the head that was received after Watson had fallen to the ground.

ACPO photo