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FDLE continues to investigate whether deadly Winter Park wedding shooting was justified

WINTER PARK, Fla. — Winter Park police have released body camera video that shows the moment a police officer shot and killed a man at a wedding.

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Officers were called to the Winter Park Events Center on Feb. 19 for an “irate, drunk guest.”

Investigators said Daniel Knight knocked two officers to the ground.

Police said the officers had no choice but to use stun guns.

In the video, you can see the bride and hear the Taser, before seven shots are fired.

READ: Police release video of deadly shooting at Winter Park wedding reception

The crowd of wedding guests erupts into screams and cries.

As more officers arrive on the scene, you can hear guests begging for Knight to be helped.

The video gives us a new perspective of what happened that night.

Channel 9 talked to criminal justice expert Randy Nelson, who said what stood out to him the most was how fast the situation escalated.

In the span of just a minute, the interaction turned deadly.

READ: Family of wedding guest shot, killed by Winter Park police refute department’s account

“All of that happened in less than a minute. And it happens just that quick. And that’s why I think now we need our best, our best and brightest in law enforcement now more than ever before,” Nelson said.

Nelson, who works at Bethune-Cookman University, trains police across the nation on situations similar to this incident.

During his analysis, he said the moment Knight appeared to be calming down before lashing out, was crucial.

“Once you hit that officer that it was, that was it. You knew you had someone that that was an aggressive posture.”

Nelson said it’s good that the public can see the video, not just for transparency but to help understand tense situations.

“At the end of the day, no one won from that. No one. No one won from that situation,” Nelson said.

READ: Analyst: Winter Park police properly followed protocol in officer-involved shooting at wedding

The officer who did not fire his gun is back to work, while the other office who shot Knight is still on administrative duty.

Whether the shooting is justified is still under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

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