Newly released footage shows heroic officer go from telling kids to wear their seatbelts to running towards gunfire and putting down mass mall shooter: 'I'm moving as fast as I can'

A 33-year-old gunman murdered eight people, including three children, and injured 10 others May 6 at the Allen Premium Outlets mall in Texas. The killer would likely have claimed more innocent lives had an Allen Police officer not run without hesitation toward the crackle of gunfire and "neutralized" the threat.

The Allen Police Department released the officer's body-worn camera footage Wednesday following a grand jury's determination that his use of force was justified under Texas law.

"This video shows how quickly a routine interaction with the public turned into a life-and-death situation," Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey said in a statement. "The officer recognized the danger, ran toward the gunfire and neutralized the threat — and for his actions, the Allen community is forever grateful."

At the beginning of the video, the unnamed officer can be seen addressing two little children in the mall parking lot, instructing them to follow their mother's guidance.

"Make sure y'all be good, okay?" says the officer. "And make sure you wear your seatbelts when Mommy's driving, okay?"

A little girl can be heard answering in the affirmative, but her brother is interrupted when a several gunshots ring out in quick succession. The mother quickly grabs her children by their hands and pulls them close.

The officer doesn't miss a beat.

"I think we got shots fired at the outlet mall," he says over his radio. "People running."

He reaches into his police cruiser, grabs his rifle, then orders passersby to safety: "Go, go, go! Keep moving!"

Running full-tilt through the parking lot to the far side of the mall, the officer closes in on the sound of screaming and additional gunshots.

Although he sounds slightly winded, he maintains his advance, noting over the radio, "I'm on foot. I need everybody I got. ... A real mass shooter. ... I'm moving as fast as I can."

"I'm by Tommy Hilfiger. I don't know where he's at," says the officer, scanning the arcade for the shooter.

Another barrage alerts the officer to the shooter's whereabouts. The officer rushes forward, spots the shooter, and lights him up with around 14 well-placed shots.

"I got him down," the officer announces, passing an abandoned baby carriage.

As fellow officers approach, the officer reiterates, "Damn, bro. Got 'em, bro," instructing the mass shooter's bullet-riddled corpse to "stay the f*** down."

The shooter had three weapons on his person and another five in his vehicle, reported CNN.

Watch the video here:

The Texas Rangers and the Collin County District Attorney's office presented this footage and other evidence to a grand jury concerning the officer's use of force on Monday. The officer was cleared of any wrongdoing.

Craig Miller, a retired Dallas ISD police chief, told KDFW-TV, "His actions were unbelievable, the way that he was able to respond. ... He's doing exactly what he's trained. He's asking for backup. Immediately he gets on dispatch, tells him what he's got, but at the same time, he's running to the issue, running to this incident."

The victims of the mass shooting were: James Cho, 3; Sofia Mendoza, 8; Daniel Mendoza, 11; Christian LaCour, 20; Aishwarya Thatikonda, 27; Elio Cumana-Rivas, 32; Cindy Cho, 35; and Kyu Song Cho, 37.

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