RHOC star Lydia McLaughlin and her family are responding to the body cam video that has been released showing the moment her brother was shot and killed by police. Her brother, Geoffrey Stirling, was killed in an officer-involved shooting on April 17. Now, a new video is creating a clearer picture as to what could have possibly happened. Keep reading to find out the family’s reaction and all the other details.
RHOC Lydia McLaughlin Brother Shot By Police, Body Cam Footage Released
Real Housewives of Orange County Season 8 alum Lydia McLaughlin and her family are reacting to the body cam footage of Geoffrey Stirling’s last moments before police shot him six times. The incident happened on April 17 on Pacific Coast Highway in Newport Beach, California.
Stirling was riding his motorcycle when police pulled him over for a traffic violation. He was reportedly not cooperating with police officers. During the stop, an altercation occurred and Stirling allegedly assaulted the officer.
Initial reports said, “During the ensuing violent altercation, Stirling managed to remove the department-issued taser from the officer’s duty belt and attempted to deploy it multiple times against the officer. At that point, an officer-involved shooting occurred.”
On May 7, the Newport Beach Police Department released a criminal incident community briefing video, which included the body cam footage. The department said they are committed to transparency and accountability.
The briefing given on the video by Sergeant Steve Oberon stated that Stirling hit the officer in the head multiple times before allegedly grabbing his taser off his belt. In the video, the officer tells Geoffrey to sit on the curb, to which Stirling says he does not want to sit or come here. He then begins to reach for his identification while telling the officer not to shoot him.
When the officer turns away, Stirling seems to seemingly lunges toward him and at one point grabs for the taser and points it toward the officer. This is when the police officer fired six shots.
The Family Speaks Out
RHOC alum Lydia McLaughlin and her family issued a statement to US Weekly through their attorney. They believe the video shows a different story from what is being stated. The statement reads as follows:
“Geoff was experiencing a mental health crisis when he was stopped for a traffic infraction. Geoff was unarmed and posed no deadly threat to the officer. The Stirling family expects that all video and audio footage along with every report and shred of evidence related to this deeply disturbing shooting be preserved for presentation in due course as part of the lawsuit the family will be pursuing. The cause of death was blood loss. Despite the presence of multiple officers reporting to the scene, no aid was initially offered.”
Sergeant Oberon went on to say that after shots were fired, officers devised their plan to take him into custody and began medical treatment. A few minutes later Newport Fire Department arrived on the scene to continue giving medical attention.
Geoffrey was laid to rest over the weekend in Orange County. His shocking death comes just six months after Lydia’s mother passed away from cancer.
The family continues to be devastated and believes that Geoffrey’s death appears to be an “unjustified use of lethal force.”
Their statement also stated that there could have been other ways the officer could have used his training to subdue Stirling without opening fire on him, which ultimately ended his life.
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