Warren police release body cam video of fatal officer-involved shooting
Deadly Warren police shooting captured on body cam footage
On Thursday, Warren police released officer body cam video of a police-involved shooting that ended with one person dead. The man was armed with a knife and continued to approach officers who were called to a domestic violence incident Monday night. WARNING: This video contains graphic content and vulgar language.
WARREN, Mich. (FOX 2) - Warren police released body camera footage Thursday of an officer-involved shooting that left a man dead earlier this week.
Police said Kenny Beno, 41, was armed with a knife when he was shot and killed by officers responding to a domestic violence call Monday night.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.
The backstory:
Officers were called to the 27000 block of Railroad Street around 10:15 p.m. after a woman, later identified as Lana Price, called 911 because Beno was threatening her while armed with a knife. He left the home before police arrived.
Victim of man killed by Warren police says boyfriend decided ‘he wanted to be a big bully’
The girlfriend of the man who was shot and killed by Warren Police told FOX 2 in an exclusive interview that her boyfriend showed up with plans to intimidate and scare her and she had no choice but to call 911.
"He just decided that he wanted to be a big bully and overpower me and block me into my house," Price said.
According to police, they spotted Beno running with the weapon. In body cam video, officers can be heard telling Beno to get on the ground. He responded by yelling that he had a knife. He also yelled, "Shoot me!"
After he refused to drop the knife, he was Tased. When the Taser didn't work, Beno was shot after he continued to approach the officers. In a press conference, Warren Police Commissioner Eric Hawkins said Beno got within about 12 feet of the officers.
Beno was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Hawkins said it appears the shooting was suicide by police.
Dig deeper:
Price told FOX 2 that she had dated Beno on and off for the past three years. She let him move in with her after he was released from jail late last year following a domestic violence conviction.
"I was the victim in that case. I don’t understand. I just thought that I would be a lovely, helping lady," she said.
Price defended the actions of police.
"They had to do that to keep them safe," Price said, adding that she believed Beno would have hurt officers had they not shot him.
What's next:
Four officers are on paid administrative leave while the police department conducts an internal review of their actions.
Hawkins said two of those officers fired shots, one deployed a Taser, and one who was there was placed an admin leave as a precaution since they were there.
Big picture view:
Hawkins said a recent analysis of violent crime in Warren found that more than half of the aggravated assaults or felony assaults in the city over the past two years were connected to domestic violence.
"What really startled us is when we found that almost 70% of our homicides had a domestic violence nexus during this same period of time," he said.
Hawkins also noted that mental health calls are increasing in Warren, with officers responding to more than 1,500 mental health calls in 2024. This year, officers have fielded more than 270 mental health calls so far.
"This is an issue that communities across the country that society has to deal with," Hawkins said. "We're going to have to make sure that we're collaborating and partnering with a lot of our social service agencies and other entities who specialize in dealing with mental health and, and, domestic violence."
Hawkins said the Warren Police Department has been in the process of forming a crisis intervention unit (CIU). The department also has officers trained in crisis intervention who will be training other officers. Additionally, all officers are undergoing emotional intelligence training.
"While that is does not specifically deal with domestic violence, it deals with how our officers perceive their own emotions in the emotions of others when they're out in the field and, and in the interact with someone who may be under some sort of distress," he said.
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If you or a loved one is feeling distressed, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The crisis center provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to civilians and veterans. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255. Or text to 741-741
CLICK HERE for the warning signs and risk factors of suicide. Call 1-800-273-TALK for free and confidential emotional support.
The Source: FOX 2 attended a Warren police press conference to write this story. Previous reporting was also used to report this story.