A year-old case in Miami Beach, Florida, has resurfaced with the recent release of intense police body camera footage.
The video captured the fatal shooting of an escaped convict, Darien Young, by an officer as Young held a girl and a store employee hostage at knifepoint inside a Victoria’s Secret store.
The incident unfolded on July 27, 2023, at the Lincoln Road store. Young, 29, had previously escaped from the New Hampshire Department of Corrections, where he was serving time as a minimum-security resident.
In the released footage, officers are seen arriving as Young had the girl and employee in chokeholds, with a knife held at their throats. “Holster it!” Young shouted at the officers, resisting their attempts to get him to drop the knife. “Back up!”
The officers attempted to reason with Young, reassuring him that his life was not over and urging him to release the hostages. “Just put the knife down, and we’ll talk,” one officer can be heard saying. The tense situation escalated as Young threatened the lives of the hostages.
As the officers maintained a perimeter around Young, the scenario turned critical. Despite the officers’ efforts to defuse the situation and negotiate.
Ultimately, Officer Corey Jackson made his move, firing a single shot that struck Young in the head. Young fell to the ground, and officers swiftly assisted the hostages to safety.
The aftermath captured on Jackson’s body camera revealed the emotional toll the encounter took on him as he left the store. Fellow officers comforted him, urging him to breathe and get fresh air.
Following the shooting, Young was transported to a local hospital but was pronounced dead.
The tactical knife he had brandished was recovered at the scene.