The Evendale Police Department recently released footage of the arrest of the man who shot into Tokyo Foods in January, with the suspect proclaiming a number of odd or troubling things.
"We have conducted hundreds of hours of investigative time in this case and our investigation will continue," Evendale police chief Tim Holloway said in a Jan. 31 press release.
Scroll down to view the footage, which may be sensitive for some readers.
The shooting in Evendale
At 6:30 p.m. Jan. 22, police responded to a report of a shooting near 10700 Reading Road. According to a Jan. 31 press release from the department, police arrested 33-year-old Daniel Beckjord at Evendale Plaza for allegedly firing a handgun at the windows of Tokyo Foods, a longtime market that primarily sells Japanese products and Asian groceries. The business is next to Uncle Yip's restaurant, which serves Asian cuisine.Jan. 22 was Lunar New Year. The event is celebrated by millions of people in different cultures but especially by those in Asian cultures.
Nine people were inside Uncle Yip's as Beckjord shot through the Tokyo Foods windows, with some hiding in the restroom, court documents said. Beckjord, who is white, allegedly stood in front of Uncle Yip's as he fired at Tokyo Foods.
Police arrested Beckjord, and the suspect was held at Hamilton County Justice Center. On Jan. 31, a Hamilton County grand jury indicted Beckjord on two counts of vandalism, one count of inducing panic, and three counts of having weapons while under disability, police said. The grand jury did not indict Beckjord on five counts of felonious assault.
Beckjord could get 20 years in prison for the Tokyo Foods shooting alone, police said, but Beckjord has run into trouble before.
"In addition to these charges from the Grand Jury the suspect has outstanding cases in Hamilton County for an incident in July 2022. He also faces charges in Belmont County, Ohio where he was involved in a high- speed pursuit," police said. "The suspect also has an outstanding Burglary case in Gallatin County, Kentucky. In the Gallatin County incident, the subject used a firearm to shoot out the lock of the residence he burglarized. During all of these recent arrests the suspect either possessed or used a firearm during the incident. Search warrants in this investigation led to the seizure of 13 firearms, 2 bulletproof vests and numerous magazines and ammunition."
Beckjord also had collected information about local police squads and equipment, Evendale police said.
"In addition to the crimes he has been charged with we also found information of numerous instances throughout the Greater Cincinnati area where Beckjord has intentionally tried to provoke police officers into confrontations. Additionally, his cell phones found photos of police departments including departmental vehicles and personal vehicles of police department employees," Holloway said. "Mr. Beckjord’s recent behavior suggests he is dangerous and erratic with a bold willingness to use firearms in crimes. We will remain committed to seeing that he is held to full account for his crimes and that any sentences he receives be reflective of the seriousness of the charges against him and of the danger he poses to others."
The Evendale Police Department said that thus far, its investigation does not show that Beckjord committed a hate crime.
"The suspect never offered a motive for the offense and that remains under investigation," the department said. "After searching two residences used by the suspect, two vehicles used by the suspect, as well as two cell phones belonging to the subject, no evidence was found that pointed towards an ethnic/cultural motivation or targeting in the Evendale incident."
The footage from the arrest
The Evendale Police Department released body-cam footage of Beckjord's arrest on Jan. 31 shortly after the Hamilton County grand jury indicted the suspect.In the video, which is just over eight minutes long, two police officers draw their guns and confront Beckjord near a white vehicle at outside Uncle Yip's, telling him to keep his hands up and to get on his knees. They approach as Beckjord lies face down in the parking lot with his hands spread. Beckjord, who is wearing camouflage gear, black gloves and a light-colored beanie hat, does not resist as an officer handcuffs him. Someone in the parking lot tells one of the officers that his wife is in the restaurant. The officer holding Beckjord turns the suspect around and reads him his rights, to which Beckjord replies, "All right."
The officer asks Beckjord if he'd like to say anything. Beckjord is silent as the officer searches his pockets and a bystander says that the suspect had fired into Tokyo Foods. Eventually, Beckjord says that he does not have any weapons on his body but that "There's a nine in the car," meaning a 9mm handgun. That's in addition to the Glock .40-caliber pistol that officers found on the ground, he confirms
That's when Beckjord began rambling oddly.
"I'm a special agent and this is concluding an investigation to end child molestation and sexual slavery and the dosing of mass populations through drugs and drug-like substances and psychedelics and psychedelic-like substances, and this is to end it forever," Beckjord tells the officers in the video.
At that time, a bystander tells one officer about something "back in the car" as well as something about his wife. Beckjord notices this before continuing.
"And they want you to release me and back in the car...," Beckjord says. "And he did the right thing. He just wanted to make sure his kids were safe. And, uh, I run the mafia for every galactic..."
Beckjord then trails off before continuing on a different thread.
"I'm chief of Cherokee Nation, chief of Navajo Nation, I'm chief of Iroquois Nation, I'm chief of Cherokee-Iroquois Nation, I'm chief of Cherokee-Navajo Nation, I'm chief of Africa Nation, I'm chief of Egyptian Nation, I'm chief of Ethiopian Nation, I'm chief of all the Nordic tribes, I am chief of Irish Nation," Beckjord claimed.
At the 5:40 mark of the video, one officer asks Beckjord about his intent when firing shots at Tokyo Foods. Beckjord rambles about "dosing" again before getting to his reason.
"Tokyo is in non-compliance. I am chief of Tokyo," Beckjord says. "Does Tokyo want this over? Then take him out [of] the cuffs."
As the officer walks Beckjord to the squad car, Beckjord says, "Well, this is just a training exercise to see if I'll comply with law enforcement. You know who Daniel Beckjord is. Well my payroll pays your salary. My relatives are five-star generals and five-star lieutenants and five-star admirals, and they don't want me fucked with.
At the car, an officer buckles Beckjord into the backseat, where the suspect says, "Law enforcement has to save me from situations in the future, and this is just a training exercise to show how this should work."
An officer then asks Beckjord if he chose Tokyo Foods because it was an Asian market.
"No, no," Beckjord says before going into the "training exercise" spiel again. "MIB [men in black] is in my head and you can't get 'em out of my head. Secret Service is in my head; you can't get 'em out of my head. Every government agency is in my head."
"They'll be here before you can get me out of this parking lot, through teleportation, if you go any further than this," he adds.
The officer simply says, "All right" and begins to shut the door. But Beckjord has one final question.
"Are you alive or are you a spirit, sir?"
Read the Evendale Police Department's press release and watch the arrest footage – which may be sensitive for some readers – below.
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