DC police release Terrence Sterling body cam video, after BLM activists stage protests

The office of the mayor of Washington, D.C. on Tuesday released video footage showing the moments after a Metropolitan Police Department officer fatally shot Terrence Sterling on Sept. 11. Sterling had reportedly driven his motorcycle into the passenger door of a police cruiser before he was killed.

Brian Trainer was identified as the officer involved in the shooting, after officials had previously withheld his name and the video from public release. The footage was captured on the 27-year-old, four-year MPD veteran's body-worn camera, the mayor's office announced in a press statement.

On Wednesday, the local medical examiner's office ruled Sterling's death a homicide caused by a gunshot wound of the neck and of the back.

(Editor's note: The following video contains graphic footage. View with discretion.)

According to the narrative provided by the mayor's office, MPD officers observed Sterling's motorcycle "driving erratically" before Trainer's shots were detected on city surveillance equipment around 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 11. The body cam footage begins just after Trainer's shots were fired.

In the video, officers can be seen providing medical assistance to the wounded Sterling, who is slumped over and bleeding near his motorcycle. The mayor's office did not provide further details about why the officer opened fire or whether Sterling intentionally crashed into the cruiser.

On Monday, activists from a handful of organizations, including Black Lives Matter and Black Youth Project 100, blocked traffic during the morning commute near the intersection where Sterling and Trainer encountered each other.

The activists had vowed to target Mayor Murial Bowser's office until it released the video and the officer's name. A representative for the activists did not immediately respond to Mic's request for comment on Tuesday afternoon.

Sept. 28, 2016, 4:43 p.m. Eastern: This story has been updated.