San Bernardino Gambling Den Video Shows Shot Man Was Running from Police

A man shot dead by police Saturday outside an alleged illegal online gambling operation in San Bernadino, Calif., appeared to be running away from officers when the fatal shot was fired.

Rob Marquise Adams
Images released by San Bernardino police show Adams was holding a gun. But new video suggests he was shot in the back while running away. (Image: SBPD)

New video of the incident posted on social media shows a man believed to be Rob Marquise Adams, 23, approaching an unmarked police car in a parking lot.

Separate images released by the San Bernardino Police Department Monday showed that the man held a handgun in his right hand, pointed towards the ground, as he walked towards the vehicle. The gun is not clear in the new footage, which was shot from some distance away.

As the man gets close to the car, the doors swing open. Two officers jump out and charge toward the man, guns drawn. He turns and flees.

The video appears to show the man being shot in the back as he runs to take cover between two cars. It is not clear how many shots were fired.

Investigation Ongoing 

Adams was transported to a local hospital, where he died of his injuries on Monday night, according to a police statement.

The SBPD said an investigation into the incident is ongoing and asked the community to “withhold judgment” on the situation until investigators have “all the available facts and details.”

The new video “fails to provide any details or context as to what occurred during the incident,” the SBPD said.

“As with any incident of this nature, we must collect and review all of the information and available evidence (including video) before sharing videos,” the department added.

Illegal Gambling Den

The official police report states that two fully uniformed Special Investigation Unit Officers were conducting surveillance in an unmarked car following reports that “a black male armed with a gun” was in the parking lot of an illegal online gambling business located in the 400 block of West Highland High Street.

When they arrived, they saw two men. One, later identified as Adams, “pulled a gun from his waistband and began walking towards the officers,” the report continued.

The officers exited their vehicle and attempted to give Adams verbal commands, but Adams ran away, toward two cars, still carrying the gun,” it stated. “One of the officers fired his service weapon, striking Adams. Officers immediately rendered medical aid…”

Police say they recovered a loaded Taurus G3C 9mm from the scene. The second man was arrested without incident.

Philip Conneller
Philip Conneller Senior Reporter

In Philip Conneller’s eight years with Casino.org, he has covered the gaming industry from Las Vegas to Macau and everything in between. He currently focuses his coverage on gaming law, white-collar crime, global money laundering, tribal gaming, politics, and regulation.

Philip was the original features editor for poker’s Bluff Magazine and editor for Bluff Europe, which he helped launch. His writing has also been featured in ESPN, Forbes, Time Out, The Sun, and The Daily Star, as well as iGaming Business, eGaming Review, and numerous other industry news and tech websites.

His news stories for Casino.org/news have been linked by The Washington Post, The Daily Mail, People Magazine, and Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show, among many others.

Philip once won $20,000 with 7-2 off-suit. He has been reprimanded for unwittingly playing Elton John’s piano on two separate occasions on both sides of the Atlantic.

He became a writer because he is a lousy pianist.

Philip lives outside London with his wife and children, where he spends his time agonizing about Arsenal FC.

Contact Philip at philip.conneller@casino.org.

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