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He Told the Officer “Not Today” and Drove Away — Two Hours Later, Police Found Him With a Gun

At first, the encounter looked unusually calm.

An officer approached a parked vehicle and began speaking with the people inside. There was no high-speed chase, no gunfire and no obvious violence.

But within minutes, the officer discovered that one of the occupants — later identified as 49-year-old Timothy Connor — had an outstanding warrant.

The officer repeatedly told Connor to unlock the door and step out of the vehicle.

Connor had a different answer:

“Not today.”

What happened next turned an attempted warrant arrest into a manhunt.

Connor drove away from the scene.

Approximately two hours later, reports indicated that the vehicle had collided with a parked car nearby. A deputy responding to that incident spotted Connor behind a shed.

The deputy ordered him to show his hands.

Then everything changed within seconds.

An officer saw a gun.

Shots were fired.

Connor was critically wounded and later died.

The body-camera footage provides a disturbing example of how an apparently controlled police encounter can transform almost instantly into a deadly confrontation.

PART 1 — Police Discover an Outstanding Warrant

The encounter begins quietly.

An officer approaches a vehicle and speaks with a woman identified in the footage as Ginger.

He asks whether she owns the vehicle and whether she has identification.

Then his attention shifts toward the man sitting inside.

The officer asks for his name.

The man is identified as Timothy Connor.

From the beginning, the officer is careful about Connor’s hands.

He instructs him to keep them on the steering wheel and warns him not to suddenly drop them out of sight.

There is also some history involving the vehicle.

The officer explains that police had previously encountered it and were interested in another woman who had allegedly been driving it when she backed into another vehicle and left the scene.

But the investigation soon takes an unexpected direction.

A records check indicates that Connor may have an outstanding warrant.

The officer removes the vehicle’s keys from the ignition and places them away from Connor, specifically expressing concern about preventing a pursuit.

For several minutes, the situation remains calm.

The officer tells Connor that if the issuing jurisdiction wants him taken into custody, he will be going to jail.

Then confirmation arrives.

Authorities want Connor arrested.

The officer approaches and tells him to unlock the door.

“They want you,” the officer says. “You get to go to jail.”

Connor does not comply.

The officer repeats the command.

Unlock the door.

Come out.

Connor responds with words that become one of the defining moments of the footage:

“Not today.”

The officer continues trying to persuade him to surrender.

Connor repeatedly asks for another day.

The tension increases.

Then, despite the officer’s earlier effort to prevent exactly this outcome, Connor manages to get the vehicle moving.

He drives away.

The attempted arrest has now become a search for a wanted man.

PART 2 — Connor Escapes, but Police Find Him Two Hours Later

After Connor leaves, officers remain at the original scene gathering information.

The woman appears shocked by what has happened.

Police discuss Connor’s warrant and the circumstances surrounding his escape.

One officer explains that Connor’s movement toward a backpack had immediately raised concern because police did not know what might be inside.

At that point, officers did not appear certain whether Connor had a firearm.

That uncertainty would become critically important later.

Police tell the woman to call 911 if Connor contacts her.

She also tells officers that personal belongings and dogs remain inside the vehicle.

For approximately two hours, Connor remains away from the original scene.

Then another incident brings police back into contact with him.

According to the case narrative presented in the video, Connor’s vehicle collided with a parked car not far from the location of the earlier encounter.

A deputy responds to the collision.

While investigating, the deputy spots a man behind a nearby shed.

It is Connor.

The officer approaches.

The commands begin immediately:

“Show me your hands.”

The command is repeated.

“Show me your hands right now.”

Then an officer sees something that changes the encounter instantly.

A gun.

Within seconds, officers report shots fired.

The calm conversation from two hours earlier has now become a deadly armed confrontation.

PART 3 — “He’s Got a Gun”: Shots Fired Behind the Shed

After the shooting, officers remain extremely cautious.

Connor is down, but police still cannot immediately assume that the weapon is no longer accessible.

One officer reports that the gun had been in Connor’s right hand.

Commands continue:

“Drop the gun.”

“Put your hands up.”

Officers reposition themselves to obtain a clear view of both hands.

Eventually, one officer confirms that he can see the firearm.

Police cautiously move closer.

The weapon is secured.

Connor is placed in handcuffs and searched for any additional weapons.

At the same time, officers call for medical aid.

The area is treated as a crime scene, and another agency is requested to investigate the officer-involved shooting.

Connor is treated by medical personnel.

But his injuries are too severe.

According to the case summary presented in the footage, Timothy Connor subsequently died from multiple gunshot wounds.

The attempted warrant arrest that had begun with a calm conversation had ended in a fatal police shooting only hours later.

Why Police Were Looking for Timothy Connor

The background described at the end of the video adds important context to the warrant.

Connor was 49 years old and was facing allegations involving a child at the time of the incident.

According to the supplied case narrative, he had been released on bond but later failed to appear for a court hearing connected to that case.

That failure to appear resulted in the warrant that the officer was attempting to serve during the initial body-camera encounter.

The source material states that Connor had pleaded not guilty to the underlying sexual-assault allegations.

Because Connor died before those allegations could be resolved in court, there was no final adjudication of those charges.

That distinction is important.

An allegation — even a very serious one — is not the same as a criminal conviction.

LEGAL ANALYSIS — From an Arrest Warrant to a Fatal Police Shooting

The following section discusses general American criminal and constitutional-law principles relevant to the incident shown in the footage. It does not make an independent determination about the legal justification of any individual officer’s actions.

1. What Does an Arrest Warrant Allow Police to Do?

The first major legal issue arises during the original encounter.

Police conduct a records check and determine that Connor has an outstanding warrant.

An arrest warrant is a judicial authorization directing law enforcement to take a particular person into custody.

Once officers confirm that a valid warrant exists and that the person in front of them is the individual named in that warrant, they generally have legal authority to make the arrest.

That means Connor’s desire not to go to jail did not cancel the warrant.

Nor could he simply postpone the arrest by asking for another day.

Once the warrant was confirmed, the officer instructed Connor to unlock the door and exit the vehicle.

Those commands were connected to taking him into custody.

2. “Not Today” Did Not Legally Stop the Arrest

Connor’s repeated statement — “Not today” — is one of the most memorable moments in the video.

Legally, however, a person generally cannot veto a lawful custodial arrest simply by refusing to participate.

Once an officer has lawful authority to arrest someone, physical resistance or flight can potentially create additional legal consequences.

The safer legal route for a defendant who believes an arrest or warrant is improper is generally to challenge it through the judicial process rather than physically resist or flee.

Courts, not roadside confrontations, are where disputes over warrants and criminal charges are ordinarily resolved.

3. Why the Officer Was Watching Connor’s Hands

Throughout the initial encounter, the officer repeatedly focuses on Connor’s hands.

This can appear excessive when an encounter is otherwise calm.

But hands are critically important during police contacts because they determine whether a person may be able to suddenly reach for a weapon.

The officer explicitly warns Connor about lowering his hands out of view.

Later, officers discuss Connor reaching toward a backpack and acknowledge that they did not know whether it contained a firearm.

That uncertainty demonstrates one of the central problems officers face during vehicle encounters.

A person can appear calm while still having immediate access to something officers cannot see.

4. Why the Officer Removed the Vehicle Keys

One especially notable moment occurs when the officer removes the vehicle’s keys.

He explains the reason directly: he does not want a “crazy chase.”

The concern was straightforward.

If Connor learned he was going to jail, the vehicle could become a means of escape.

Removing access to the ignition was therefore intended to prevent flight and reduce the possibility of a dangerous pursuit.

Ironically, Connor ultimately managed to leave anyway.

The incident therefore illustrates why controlling a vehicle can become a major officer-safety issue once an occupant learns that an arrest is imminent.

5. Fleeing Does Not Make an Arrest Warrant Disappear

When Connor escaped, the underlying warrant remained active.

Flight does not eliminate the authority created by a valid warrant.

Instead, law enforcement can continue searching for the wanted person.

Depending on the jurisdiction and exact conduct involved, the escape itself may also generate additional criminal allegations.

But in this case, Connor would never face a subsequent prosecution arising from the escape because the later encounter became fatal.

6. Two Hours Can Completely Change the Threat Assessment

The second encounter was fundamentally different from the first.

During the original contact, Connor was sitting inside a vehicle and speaking with officers.

Approximately two hours later, police were dealing with someone who had already fled an attempted arrest.

His vehicle had reportedly been involved in another collision.

He was found behind a shed.

And officers quickly observed what they believed to be a firearm.

Those new facts dramatically changed the risk assessment.

Police use-of-force decisions are evaluated based on the circumstances confronting officers when force is used, not merely on how calm a suspect may have appeared hours earlier.

7. The Central Legal Question in the Shooting: Was There an Immediate Threat?

When police use deadly force, one of the most important constitutional questions is whether the officer reasonably perceived an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm under the circumstances.

The presence of a firearm is therefore extremely important — but context still matters.

Simply knowing that a gun exists somewhere is not always identical to facing an immediate deadly threat.

Investigators examining an officer-involved shooting typically look at details such as where the weapon was located, how it was being held, what movements occurred, what commands were given, the distance between the parties and what each officer could reasonably perceive at the moment shots were fired.

The transcript in this case records an officer announcing:

“He’s got a gun.”

Shots are then reported.

Afterward, officers repeatedly discuss the weapon and one states that it had been in Connor’s right hand.

Those details would be central to the investigation of the shooting.

8. Why Body-Camera Footage Matters So Much

Officer-involved shootings receive intense scrutiny because the person subjected to force may be unable to provide his own account afterward.

Body-camera footage can therefore become extremely important.

It can preserve commands given by officers.

It can show the suspect’s movements.

It can establish timing.

It can capture statements made immediately before and after gunfire.

But body-camera footage also has limitations.

A camera does not necessarily see exactly what an officer sees.

Its angle may be different.

Objects can be obscured.

Rapid movements can be difficult to interpret frame by frame.

For that reason, investigators generally consider body-camera footage alongside physical evidence, firearm evidence, witness statements, officer interviews and other available information.

9. Why Officers Did Not Immediately Walk Up to Connor

After Connor was shot and went down, officers continued ordering him to show his hands and drop the gun.

To some viewers, that can seem strange.

If someone has already been shot, why not immediately run forward and provide medical assistance?

The answer is scene safety.

An injured person may still be capable of firing a weapon.

Officers therefore need to determine whether the threat has actually ended before approaching closely enough to provide aid.

Here, officers were still trying to identify the position of Connor’s hands and firearm.

Only after they obtained a clearer view did they move forward, secure the gun, handcuff Connor and begin the process of providing medical assistance.

10. Why Police Handcuff a Seriously Injured Suspect

Another detail that sometimes confuses viewers is the use of handcuffs after a suspect has been seriously wounded.

Handcuffing does not necessarily mean officers believe the person is physically healthy.

It is a method of securing someone who remains under arrest and ensuring that the person cannot regain access to a weapon while officers or medical personnel move closer.

In this footage, officers first secure the firearm and then place Connor in cuffs while checking him for additional weapons.

Medical treatment and scene security can therefore occur at nearly the same time.

11. Why Another Agency Investigates the Shooting

After the shooting, an officer tells Ginger that another agency will need to investigate.

This is significant.

Officer-involved shootings commonly trigger formal investigations separate from the officers directly involved in the incident.

The purpose is to collect evidence and determine exactly what occurred rather than simply relying on the involved officer’s description.

Investigators may examine body-camera recordings, weapons, cartridge casings, trajectories, medical evidence, witness statements and other forensic material.

The area itself becomes a protected crime scene.

That explains why Ginger is told she cannot immediately retrieve property from the vehicle.

12. Connor’s Death Changed the Criminal Case Completely

Connor’s death had an important legal consequence beyond the officer-involved shooting investigation.

The underlying criminal allegations against him could no longer proceed to trial.

The American criminal justice system prosecutes living defendants.

When an accused person dies before the case is resolved, the pending prosecution cannot continue toward an ordinary determination of guilt or innocence.

That is particularly important here because Connor had pleaded not guilty to the sexual-assault allegations described in the source material.

He therefore died before those allegations could be finally adjudicated.

13. An Accusation Is Not a Conviction

Because of the nature of the underlying allegations, careful wording is essential.

The source material says Connor was facing two counts involving alleged sexual abuse of a child and had pleaded not guilty.

Those facts can be reported.

But it would be inaccurate to describe him as having been convicted of those offenses when the supplied material says the case had not reached that resolution.

The presumption of innocence remains an important principle even when allegations are disturbing or when other evidence is publicly discussed.

14. Why a Failure to Appear Can Have Serious Consequences

Connor’s warrant reportedly resulted from his failure to attend a court hearing after being released on bond.

When a defendant is released pending trial, that release generally comes with legal obligations.

Appearing for scheduled court proceedings is among the most fundamental.

Failure to appear can lead a judge to issue a warrant and can affect a defendant’s release status.

Once that warrant exists, an ordinary encounter with law enforcement can suddenly become an arrest.

That appears to be exactly what happened here.

15. The First Encounter and the Second Encounter Were Worlds Apart

Perhaps the most striking feature of the footage is the contrast between its two halves.

During the first encounter, officers speak conversationally.

Connor responds to questions.

The officer even tells him that he does not need to remain physically tense while keeping his hands visible.

Then the warrant is confirmed.

Connor refuses to exit.

He escapes.

Approximately two hours later, officers find him again.

This time there is a gun.

Seconds later there is gunfire.

The dramatic change reinforces an important reality of police encounters: previous calm behavior does not guarantee what someone will do next.

16. Could the Fatal Outcome Have Been Avoided?

This is likely to be one of the biggest questions viewers ask after watching the footage.

There is no simple answer based solely on a short video.

Multiple decisions contributed to the eventual sequence of events.

The officer attempted to control the vehicle.

Connor refused to surrender.

He escaped.

Police later located him after another collision.

A firearm was present during the final confrontation.

Determining whether officers acted lawfully during the shooting requires analysis of the precise circumstances at the moment deadly force was used.

That is why the independent investigation following an officer-involved shooting is so important.

Final Outcome

Timothy Connor’s encounter with police began with an officer investigating a vehicle and discovering an outstanding warrant.

Connor was told he was going to jail.

He refused to unlock the door.

He repeatedly asked for more time and said, “Not today.”

Then he escaped in the vehicle.

Approximately two hours later, Connor was located near the scene of another collision.

A deputy spotted him behind a shed and ordered him to show his hands.

Officers reported seeing a gun.

Shots were fired.

Police subsequently secured the firearm, handcuffed Connor and requested medical assistance.

Connor was treated by medical personnel but ultimately died from multiple gunshot wounds.

Because he died before his pending criminal case could be resolved, the allegations that originally led to the warrant never reached a final determination in court.

The footage leaves viewers with an unsettling sequence: a calm conversation, an arrest warrant, two words — “not today” — an escape, and a fatal confrontation only hours later.

Legal Disclaimer

This article is provided for news reporting, commentary and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The factual narrative is based on the supplied video transcript and the information presented within that material. Timothy Connor had pleaded not guilty to the pending sexual-assault allegations described in the source material and died before those allegations could be resolved in court. References to allegations should not be interpreted as findings of guilt. This article does not independently determine whether the officers’ use of force was legally justified. Officer-involved shootings require fact-specific investigation, and applicable laws and procedures vary by jurisdiction.

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“Not Today,” He Told Police Before Driving Away — Two Hours Later, Everything Turned Deadly