Body cam footage of deadly deputy-involved shooting on New Year’s Eve released

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department has released body cam footage of a deputy-involved shooting that ended with a suspect dead and an officer injured a few months ago.

Watch the Full Video from the Sheriff's Dept. Below:

The shooting happened in Beaumont on Dec. 31, 2021.

The incident started when officers from multiple agencies located a wanted suspect, Dennis McHugh, 44, of Glendora, near the Del Taco on E 4th Street in Beaumont.

Sheriff Chad Bianco revealed that McHugh was wanted on three felony warrants, domestic violence dispute, assault with a deadly weapon, and kidnapping. The Sheriff's Dept. confirmed that hours before, deputies responded to a domestic violence call in Woodcrest, located near Perris. When deputies arrived, McHugh was no longer on the scene.

Bianco said a deputy and a Beaumont police officer approached McHugh's vehicle while he was at the drive-thru of the Del Taco.

"They gave multiple verbal commands to McHugh to turn his vehicle off and to exit the vehicle. McHugh did not comply with commands and attempted to flee the area by ramming his truck into multiple police cars and another vehicle being driven by a private citizen," Bianco said.

McHugh continued to ram his truck into the car, striking a Beaumont police officer. The officer was struck and fell down a steep embankment. The private citizen's vehicle rolls over the embankment as well, falling on top of the officer, pinning him underneath.

Moments later, the officer-involved shooting occurred. McHugh was pronounced dead inside his vehicle.

The injured officer was safely removed from the vehicle and taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He is expected to make a full recovery.

The shooting remains under investigation by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department Force Investigations Detail Task Force, which includes the District Attorney's Office and the Sheriff's Dept. Central Homicide Unit.

"This investigation will examine the initial response of deputies, McHugh's actions, and the deputy-involved shooting," Bianco said.

The Sheriff's Dept will also internally review and evaluate the actions of the deputies with the department's policy and training standards.

Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.