Man Killed In Princeton Panera Standoff Was Holding BB Gun: OAG

The weapon carried by a man when he was shot and killed by law enforcement officers at a Princeton Panera Bread last month was later determined to be a BB gun, according to the Office of Attorney General.

The revelation comes as state officials have released a surveillance video showing the graphic final moments of the man who had a 5-hour standoff with police at a Princeton Panera Bread last month (link to video is below – viewer discretion is advised).

The video shows Scott Mielentz, 56, formerly of Newtown, Pa. and a recent Lawrenceville resident, shot and killed by authorities March 20 just after he drew his BB pistol at them. The graphic fatal shooting begins at 3:24 in the 5-minute, 24-second video.

Read more: UPDATE: Princeton Panera Gunman Identified After 5-Hour Standoff

Mielentz was holding a Crosman PFM BB Pistol when he was shot, according to the Office of Attorney General.

The shooting remains under investigation by the Attorney General’s Shooting Response Team. Certain records were released Monday in response to formal requests under the New Jersey Open Public Records Act and common law.

The records include footage from Panera’s surveillance system, 911 recordings, computer-aided dispatch reports and information about the weapons involved, according to the Office of Attorney General.

The video begins with audio of the 911 call – "there's a guy with a gun at Panera" – before showing well-armed, armored law enforcement – this time with no audio – perched on a trash bin while Mielentz walks slightly toward them.

Both sides move very little for what appears to be several minutes as captioning on the video notes that State Police, FBI and the Princeton Police were negotiating with Mielentz for more than 2 hours. "But he continued to hold a black pistol in his hand," according to the video.

At approximately 2:54 p.m., according to the video, two members of the State Police, armed with M4 rifles, fired at Mielentz, striking him in the head and upper torso.

The video shows that, immediately prior to the fatal shooting, Mielentz had been holding the pistol near his waist in his right hand. He raised the pistol and pointed it in the direction of the officers.

VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED – content is graphic and may not be suitable for everyone. Shooting takes place at 3:24. You may view the video by clicking here.

Photo of video from the Office of the Attorney General