WARNING: This video contains graphic material. Viewer discretion is advised. 

Modesto Police shot and killed an alleged drug dealer recently during a warrant search in California. Though officers clearly had the drop on the suspect, he inexplicably pulled a gun from under a mattress anyway. Officer body cam footage shows the officers put the suspect down, after going for what turned out to be a BB gun.

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Modesto Police Kill Alleged Drug Dealer with BB Gun

“During the contact, he pointed a gun at our officers,” said Modesto Police Department spokesperson Sharon Bear, according to fox40.com. “Two of our officers fired our weapons, striking Lee. He did die at the scene and officers were not injured.”

The deceased suspect, identified as 54-year-old Raymond Lee, had outstanding warrants for felony drug sales, according to fox40.com. Officers found Lee recently at a hotel, and assisted a local bail bondsman during a warrant search. Footage shows officers enter the motel room, where they rushed an unidentified woman out of the room. That’s when Lee emerged from the bathroom. The suspect ignored several officer commands and immediately went to the bed to retrieve his BB gun from underneath the mattress.

“Although we train hard to de-escalate violent situations, officers must react sometimes in a split-second,” Bear said, according to fox40.com. “The decision to use lethal force is not something we take lightly. It’s truly tragic for everyone.”

In viewing the video, it’s hard to imagine going for an actual firearm, let alone a BB gun, in this given situation. Officers clearly had the tactical advantage and were clearly in command of the scene. Why Bear decided to pull that BB gun we’ll never know, but it cost him his life.

No officers suffered any injury during the incident. Meanwhile, the suspect died on the scene, according to fox50.com.