‘Cops’ TV Show Crewmember Dead, Killed While Shooting Footage For Show

An audio technician for the documentary-hit reality show Cops was shot and killed during filming of a robbery in progress, according to WOWT. Omaha police responded to the scene around 9:20 p.m. at the Wendy’s located at 4308 Dodge Street in Omaha.

That’s when police encountered a man wearing a black hoodie who had just robbed the store. Investigators say the robber held the Wendy’s cashier at gunpoint. When he tried to make his escape, he was met outside by local cops, according to the Daily Mail.

The production company for the Cops tv show had followed the police officers to the location and were in the middle of filming when gunshots rang out between local police and the armed robbery suspect.

During the crossfire, the Wendy’s robber, who has not yet been identified, was shot and killed by police. The crewmember was also shot and transported to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries. Dave Baker, Omaha Deputy Police Chief, stated the following.

“The suspect in the armed robbery has since been declared deceased at the hospital. The other person transported to the hospital at that time was a member of the COPS television program.”

Just after the shooting, police discovered that a Cops crew member was down. According to the report, the crew member was barely breathing. The victim is described as a white male. The Langley Production Company was shooting the footage.

Update: The first breaking news reports indicated that the crewmember was caught in a crossfire of bullets. As details became clearer it was determined that an officer fired the shot that killed the audio technician. It has also been confirmed that the Wendy’s robber was using a gun that shot pellets only, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Cops tv show fans’ are taking to the television show’s Facebook page to show their condolences.

“My prayers and heat goes out to the family and friends of the camera man who pasted away yesterday.”

“Sorry for the loss of one of your crew members.”

“Sorry for your loss in the Omaha shooting prayers your way”

Cops, aka Cops Reloaded, came to Fox television on March 11, 1989. It is created by John Langley and Malcolm Barbour. According to the Internet Movie Database, the show stars Andrew Fincher, Joe Guay and Laz Chavez. Cops tv show now airs on Spike. The show was a hit with viewers who were used to fictional cops and law enforcement shows, such as Miami Vice.

When it first aired, Cops was seen as the real Miami Vice, where television viewers got to watch the police in action. The first Cops shows were 30 minute snippets of police chasing the bad guys in Broward County, Fla. Today, the show continues to give viewers the true cop ride along experience, through reality based programming.

In light of the recent tragedy concerning the Cops audio tech, safety, and a look at how the accident could have been prevented, will be high on the production company’s list. Reality shows and the effects on the public were discussed in a previous article by Inquisitr.