Questions Linger After Dash-Cam Video of Man Being Shot by Cedar Rapids Police During Traffic Stop Is Released

— -- Community members and the family and friends of a man shot by a police officer during a traffic stop in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in November say they still have questions after authorities recently released dash-cam footage from that night.

Officer Lucas Jones stopped Jerime Mitchell, 38, around 1:19 a.m. on Nov. 1 because both bulbs that illuminate his license plate were burned out, Greg M. Buelow, Cedar Rapids Police public communications coordinator, told ABC News in an email.

On dash-cam video released by police Thursday, Jones could be seen walking over to the truck. Police told ABC News today that Jones told Mitchell why he was being stopped and Mitchell replied: "Bulls---. ... It's f------ not."

When Mitchell exited the vehicle, upon Jones' order, the officer smelled marijuana, police said. Jones "intended to detain Mitchell to check into it," Buelow said.

Jones' body microphone was not working, police said. Some sound, however, could be heard on the dash-cam footage from inside the vehicle.On the video, Jones attempts to handcuff Mitchell and then a struggle ensues.

"Officer Jones then reached for his handcuffs but felt Mitchell tense up as he tried to apply them," Buelow told ABC News. "He tried to calm Mitchell but warned he would release his K-9 partner if Mitchell became combative. Mitchell replied, 'Let that f------ dog out.'"

Jones activated a button on his belt that allowed his K-9 partner to exit the patrol car, according to police. In the dash-cam video, the dog appears to bite Mitchell and barks as the two continue fighting. The video also shows Mitchell attempting to get back into the car.

The vehicle starts to move, with the officer halfway inside. Jones shoots at least three times at Mitchell. According to police, a shot hit Mitchell in the neck, paralyzing him.

On Tuesday, before the video was released, Linn County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden announced that a grand jury had cleared Jones in Mitchell's shooting. He also said his office would not press charges against Mitchell, whose vehicle was later allegedly found to contain a total of $1,500 in cash, more than a pound of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, according to Buelow.

"A search of the cellphone revealed a series of text messages exchanged between Mitchell and another subject suggesting Mitchell was in the process of delivering marijuana when he was stopped by Officer Jones. A search warrant was also obtained to gather a blood specimen from Jerime Mitchell. The results showed the presence of THC and THC metabolite indicating recent use of marijuana," Buelow told ABC News.

On Thursday, Vander Sanden attended a community meeting organized by the NAACP and spoke with attendees after they viewed the video.

"By no means, do you ever fight the officer if you are taken into custody. You don't resist arrest and you certainly don't try to run from the scene," he said.

Relatives and community members said they took issue with the fact that Mitchell did not testify for the grand jury before it made a decision.

"It's unbalanced. You've only got the officer's side of it and you've got a video without words that doesn't tell you what else was said," Dedric Doolin, president of the Cedar Rapids NAACP chapter, told ABC's Cedar Rapids affiliate KCRG-TV.

A lot of people in the community have questioned why Jones' body microphone was not working, Doolin said. "A lot of people are going to wonder. That seems pretty convenient."

"I just think that if it was someone else's family member, they would understand it's really hard," Shalyse Johnson told KCRG-TV on Thursday. "I think that hearing, it is one thing, seeing it on tape is actually heartbreaking, especially when you know he wasn't trying to resist and you know he's non-confrontational."

Paula Roby, Mitchell's lawyer, said on Tuesday during a community meeting that for a while after he was shot, he could not speak.

"Therefore, it was very difficult for us to provide any statement," she said. "As soon as he was able, we made an appointment. We did not know that appointment would be for naught, that the grand jury would meet without hearing from Jerime."

In a statement given to KCRG-TV before the video was released, Mitchell said that if Jones' body microphone had been working, the sound would tell a different story.

"After I stepped out of my vehicle Officer Jones changed his story as to why I was being pulled over and became combative toward me. I was frightened, and decided it was in my best interest to get back in my truck. At that point, Officer Jones got even more aggressive towards me and slammed me against the truck then, without provocation from me, he tackled me to the ground and released his dog who started attacking me."

"I was scared and knew I had to get back in my vehicle to get away from the dog. Officer Jones then jumped on me and shot me while I was in my truck. I realized I was shot and needed to get to the hospital immediately and that is when I accelerated. Immediately after, I lost control because his bullet paralyzed me," Mitchell said.

"I was unarmed. I never struck the officer, or the dog. This has changed my life forever," Mitchell added. "He shot to kill me. ... No one should ever be treated the way I was that night."

Mitchell is scheduled to be interviewed by the Iowa Department of Public Safety's Division of Criminal Investigation next week.

ABC News' Bob Henault contributed to this story.