The El Cajon Police Department released body camera footage showing a theft suspect taking a swing at an officer with a baseball bat outside of a Walmart last Friday.
The suspect ignored repeated commands to drop the bat, then charged at the officer right outside the front doors of the store at around 3:45 p.m.An El Cajon officer's body camera shows a theft suspect charge the officer and swing a metal baseball bat at him. .
ECPD was called to the Walmart at 605 Fletcher Parkway, near Interstate 8, by the store's loss prevention team, which reported the suspect -- later identified as 26-year-old Julian Sebastien Kurko -- was attempting to steal sporting goods and threatening employees with an aluminum bat, according to the department's Lt. Will Guerin.
An officer arrived on scene about two minutes after the call was placed and encountered Kurko as he was exiting the store with the bat. In the footage released Monday, the officer can be heard asking Kurko if they could sit down and talk. The officer can be heard asking Kurko to drop the bat three times before he charges at the officer and takes a swing.