Modesto police release names in officer-involved shooting, bodycam footage of incident
The Modesto Police Department on Friday afternoon released video of an officer-involved shooting early Feb. 13 that wounded an armed passenger in a car that had been pulled over in west Modesto.
The Facebook post that includes the video also identifies the man shot — 41-year-old Mark Coke Jr. — and the officers who fired their weapons. They are Clayton Keener and Rafael Campos, both four-year veterans of the Police Department.
Coke remains hospitalized, MPD spokeswoman Sharon Bear told The Bee on Friday evening, and the investigation of the incident remains active.
When released from the hospital, Coke will be charged with attempted murder of a police officer, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, the use of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and an outstanding domestic violence warrant, the post says.
The video posted includes footage from both officers’ bodycams and Keener’s dashcam. It is introduced by Assistant Police Chief Ivan Valencia.
The incident began with a traffic stop by Keener at about 12:40 a.m. Feb. 13 in the area of Paradise Road and South Martin Luther King Drive.
The video shows Keener approaching the vehicle from the passenger side and talking to the woman driving and her male passenger. The reason for the stop is given as a headlight and taillight being out.
The driver provides her license, but the passenger says he has no ID on him, so identifies himself verbally. Keener calls for backup while he returns to his vehicle to confirm the occupants’ identities.
The name given by the passenger is that of a man on searchable probation, Valencia says, but it also turns out to be false. The birth date provided by the passenger does not match that of the name provided.
Keener asks the driver to get out to speak with him, and after they are away from her car, he asks why the passenger is lying. She says she doesn’t know, and that she hasn’t seen him in years but he came by her home earlier that night. She also repeatedly confirms that his name is the one he gave Keener.
“Does he have anything we need to know about?” Keener asks the driver, likely referring to a weapon. She first says “No,” and then, “I don’t know.”
Keener joins Campos, who’s been standing by the front passenger door as Coke sits inside. They instruct Coke to get out of the car, but he questions them — “What the hell did I do?” — and will not show his left hand as instructed.
Keener has his Taser drawn at this point, and Coke repeatedly is told, “Don’t reach down.”
Keener warns, ”I’m going to tase you,” to which Campos responds, “You’re not tasing me, bro.”
As Campos reaches over to control Coke’s left arm, Coke raises it, revealing a gun, which he aims in the officers’ direction, Valencia said.
Keener deploys his Taser and both officers quickly discharge their firearms as they retreat from the car. It sounds as though a total of 10 shots are fired, but Bear could not confirm that Friday night. She also said she did not know how many times Coke was struck.
In the video, Coke falls to the ground and cries out in pain. He starts to sit up and repeatedly is warned not to reach for the gun. It sounds like he replies that he won’t.
The officers waited for additional officers and a ballistic shield to arrive on scene, Valencia said. Once the suspect’s weapon — later determined to be a loaded 9mm Ruger — was recovered, medical aid was provided.
After the shooting, the video shows Keener approaching the driver, who repeatedly says that she didn’t know her passenger had a gun.
