OGDEN, Utah -- The scene unfolds in stark black and white, with a police car barreling through ghostly streets in east-central Ogden en route to six officers shot during a Jan. 4 drug raid.
Exclusive dashcam video obtained Monday by the Standard-Examiner through a state public records request shows the chaotic scene Ogden law officers encountered when they arrived at 8:42 p.m. outside the home of Matthew David Stewart, 3268 Jackson Ave.
Stewart, who was wounded in the shootout, is accused of killing Ogden police officer Jared Francom and injuring five others during the Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force knock-and-announce raid.
In one of the seven videos turned over to the Standard-Examiner, an Ogden officer receives an ominous warning just as he pulls his police cruiser up to the shooting scene.
"Be advised shots are being fired out in the area," a dispatcher's voice crackles over the radio inside the officer's patrol car. "All officers take cover. Don't come on to the scene."
As the officer hurriedly gets out of his car, the video sud- denly changes from black and white to color, showing the street bathed in pulsating red and blue from another police vehicle's emergency lights.
Ten gunshots can be heard on the video at 8:44 p.m.
Seconds later, three police officers suddenly emerge from the murky darkness and scramble toward two patrol cars.
"Let me get my (bulletproof) vest," one of the officers can be heard saying on the video.
There also seems to be some confusion, as one officer orders another policeman, who is identified only as Jimmy, to drive one of the patrol cars.
"Jimmy get your (expletive) ... in the (expletive) car," the officer shouts. "Quit messing around."
A policeman is then heard at the 8:46 p.m. mark on the video offering a grim assessment on the condition of one of the wounded officers.
"If he's shot, he's (expletive) dead," he said.
After Jimmy moves the patrol car closer to Stewart's home, several officers crowd near a tree.
A barrage of more that 20 shots then sound out in rapid succession. Four minutes later, officers can be seen carrying someone across the street.
In another video, policemen load wounded Ogden officer Michael Rounkles into the back seat of a patrol vehicle and then rush him to a local hospital.
"You all right, Rounkles?" a police officer asks during the four-minute trip to the hospital.
"Yeah, I'm good," says Rounkles, grunting out a reply.
When the patrol car reaches the hospital, Rounkles sits up, revealing what appear to be blood spots on the front of a bulletproof vest pulled up over the bottom part of his face.
As Rounkles is placed on a stretcher, a police officer can be heard on the video telling an emergency worker he's unsure if the officer has been shot in the mouth or face.
R o u n k l e s w a s wounded when he arrived to help injured Weber-Morgan Strike Force agents.
The strike force agents who were injured include Shawn Grogan and Kasey Burrell, both of the Ogden Police Department; Sgt. Nate Hutchinson, of the Weber County Sheriff's Office; and Jason Vanderwarf, of the Roy Police Department.
An arrest warrant affidavit details the following scenario at Stewart's home, where strike force agents suspected marijuana was being grown:
When agents arrived at the home, they repeatedly knocked on the south door while loudly announcing, "Police. Search warrant" several times and getting no answer.
As the agents cleared the basement and the main level of the residence, Stewart opened fire on them from a concealed position at close range with a Beretta. Francom was struck six times with bullets from the Beretta 9 mm semiautomatic pistol fired by Stewart, the arrest warrant affidavit says.
Grogan was struck in the face and went to the floor, and strike force agent Derek Draper returned fire as he was fired upon. Other agents came to help Draper and Grogan.
Stewart fired repeatedly at those agents, striking Burrell at least twice and mortally wounding Francom, according to the affidavit.
Stewart shot Hutchinson several times as he returned fire and helped wounded officers evacuate the home.
In addition, Stewart shot Vanderwarf in the hip, advanced on officers as they tried to evacuate the residence, and continued firing at them as they moved away from the home toward Jackson Avenue.
Rounkles, in full police uniform, arrived at the house shortly after Stewart began shooting at the agents. He entered the house to help the fallen officers and was shot twice.
Once police had evacuated the residence, Stewart moved to the front door and continued shooting into the street and front yard at the already wounded agents and fellow agents who had been helping to evacuate them. Meanwhile, other members of the Ogden Police Department arrived in marked patrol cars with emergency lights activated. Police returned fire, causing Stewart to retreat from the front door of the home and leave through the northeast bedroom window into the backyard. He then entered a small storage shed near the northeast corner of the house as additional OPD officers announced their presence in the backyard.
Stewart continued to fire the Beretta directly at Ogden police officer Tyler Crouch, who was east of the house in the backyard.
The affidavit does not detail how Stewart was wounded, the nature of his injuries or how he was captured by officers. However, sources have indicated Stewart gave himself up, walking out of the shed with his "hands out."
The day after the shooting, Davis Metro Strike Force agents executed the original search warrant for Stewart's residence and dismantled an active marijuana grow operation and recovered multiple marijuana plants, artificial lighting and a watering system, the arrest warrant affidavit states. Police later said they recovered 16 marijuana plants.
Stewart, 37, has been charged with aggravated murder, seven counts of attempted aggravated murder and production of a controlled substance.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Stewart.
Ogden Police Chief Mike Ashment declined to comment on the release of the dash-cam video and referred questions to the Weber County Attorney's Office.
Copyright 2012 - Standard-Examiner, Ogden, Utah
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
