'Put the baby down!' - Body cam video shows desert hostage standoff with Utah police
Police have released body camera video from a pursuit and hostage standoff that began in St. George and ended in the desert of northwestern Arizona earlier this year. (St. George Police Department)
ST. GEORGE, Utah (KUTV) — Police have released body camera video from a pursuit and hostage standoff that began in St. George and ended in the desert of northwestern Arizona earlier this year.
The incident ended when a police sniper shot the suspect, Oscar Alcantara, 30, while he was holding a baby he had allegedly kidnapped.
KUTV obtained the videos through a public records request.
According to investigators, on Feb. 17, Washington City police were attempting to find Alcantara in connection with an incident where a weapon was brandished.
Police tracked Alcantara to a church in the Bloomington area of St. George.
When police pulled the car over, a woman got out and ran to the officers, telling them Alcantara was still in the vehicle with her child and had a gun, according to police.
Alcantara then jumped into the driver’s seat and sped away, with the child still in the car.
Police pursued the car through St. George and eventually into the desert of southwestern Washington County. The chase crossed into Arizona and Alcantara came to a stop near the town of Beaver Dam.
The videos released Thursday show police clearing people away from the area where the pursuit ended.
Officers tried to get Alcantara to surrender the baby.
“Put the child down on the ground, we will not pursue you!” a police officer can be heard yelling at Alcantara.
After several minutes, Alcantara takes the child and runs off into the brush near the intersection of Highway 91 and Biasi Road. According to police, he continued to point the weapon at the child.
“Oscar stop! We don’t want to hurt you!” an officer can be heard yelling at Alcantara.
Police snipers moved into place while another officer was trying to communicate with Alcantara, who had bunkered down behind vegetation. At one point, officers say he has a gun pointed toward them.
“The gun is pointed right at us! Gun pointed at us!”, an officer is heard yelling on body camera video.
Around an hour into the incident, a police sniper shot and killed Alcantara while he held the baby. Officers can be seen approaching Alcantara, not knowing if the baby had been injured.
“I got child, I got child, come here baby,” a St. George police officer is heard saying on body camera.
The baby was not hurt and was rushed away to safety.
The shooting remains under investigation by the Mohave County Attorney’s Office, which confirmed to KUTV on Thursday that it is still reviewing hours of video and interviewing dozens of officers and witnesses who were involved.
