Dashcam video of an officer-involved shooting in Siler City has been released by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.
The shooting remains under investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation after officials said Mark Diaz, 21, was pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt on May 30 pulled out a handgun and pointed it at Trooper Rodney N. Cook, a 16-year veteran of the department.
The video shows that Diaz could not show the trooper any identification during the traffic stop and Cook said he could smell marijuana in the pickup, so Diaz was asked to step out of the truck.
That’s when investigators said Diaz pulled out a gun and pointed it at the trooper.
Cook can be seen retreating to his patrol car as Diaz points the gun at him out of the passenger side window before exiting the truck with the gun.
Trooper Cook fired his service weapon and shot Diaz as the truck rolled forward. The passenger can be seen jumping from the vehicle and running from the scene.
Also in the dashcam footage, Trooper Cook can be seen giving Diaz CPR until emergency services arrived on the scene after the shooting.
Diaz was taken to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Cook was not injured
Investigators said the passenger that ran from the scene later returned to the scene during the investigation.
Cook has been placed on administrative duty until the investigation is complete, which is protocol in any trooper-involved shooting.
