40 shots ring out as woman records shootout with police

PORTLAND, Ore. - Christina Lais watched the whole traffic-stop shooting unfold before her from her house Wednesday and recorded the incident on her iPhone.

She was on the phone with her father, but the police sirens going off during that traffic stop made it impossible to talk; instead, she hung up and started to record the incident.

In the clip below you'll first hear the sound of two Tasers going off. Then police yell warnings to the driver and other officers before the gunfire finally erupts.

Lais said the traffic stop was nothing like she’d ever experience or seen before where the officers were ordering the driver out of the car right after he’d pulled over. She said she’s still trying to cope with what unfolded right in front of her.

“I've watched it hundreds of times,” she said. “I think it's - it's kind of - it hasn't really sunk in yet, most of it, what's happened.  The only way I've dealt with it is by watching the video over-and-over again, trying to wrap my head around it.  I'm sort of a person of principled non-violence so it's a really hard thing to wrap your head around.”

Police have a copy of the cell phone video, but the scene itself was about a half-block from where Lais was standing and seeing what happened on the video is difficult.

What the audio does is back up the police version of what happened: that they used Tasers and saw the driver pull a gun before they opened fire.

Even Lais said it was obvious to her the driver wasn’t complying with orders from the police.

From the recording, a KATU News reporter counted at least 40 shots were fired in seven seconds.

According to police dispatch records, 10 police officers were on the scene, including Chris Burley who would eventually be wounded when police said the driver opened fire on them.

Records show that at 6:22 p.m., an order came for the “next car in to box in the suspect vehicle.” Then two minutes later: “officer shot”.

Police turned an unmarked police car into an ambulance and used it to get Burley to the hospital.

At 6:28 p.m., records say police “bean-bagged the suspect - laying on ground - possible weapon under him.” And less than a minute later: “no movement after bean-bag. Moving forward to take him into custody.”

Thursday night Officer Burley was doing better. He was in serious condition and now according the hospital he’s in fair condition.

Audio from shooting and interview with Christina Lais: