‘Cops’ crew member shot dead by police officers

A sound operator on reality TV show Cops has been shot dead by police officers who opened fire during a robbery at a fast food restaurant.

Bryce Dion, aged 38, died along with the robbery suspect, who was armed with a pellet gun police thought was a real weapon, said authorities in Omaha, Nebraska, on Wednesday.

The suspect, 32-year-old Cortez Washington, fired from the pellet gun before officers returned fire, police chief Todd Schmaderer said.

Cops has depicted law enforcement officers in action since it premiered in 1989.

Washington was wounded by the officers’ gunfire, but fled outside the Wendy’s restaurant before collapsing. Officers continued firing as he left the restaurant and that was when Mr Dion was hit, said Mr Schamaderer.

Mr Dion was wearing a bulletproof vest, but a single bullet that hit his arm “slipped into a gap in the vest” and entered his chest, the police chief said.

Mr Schmaderer said he accepted the invitation from Cops to film in Omaha in the name of transparency.

“Personally, I will live with this forever,” he said. “If I’d have known that this would happen, of course, I wouldn’t have done it.”