Bakersfield police say the man killed by officer gunfire during a robbery at the Subway on Olive Drive in Oildale was holding a black BMW car jack when he was shot.

Sgt. Joe Grubbs says officers approached 29-year-old Jason Alderman with caution after being called to the area on an unrelated matter late Saturday.

“This bumper jack, it really does, it resembles a rifle – it appears that it has a magazine underneath it,” he said. “It can easily be mistaken.”

Four-year veteran Chad Garrett fired several rounds, and has been placed on paid leave until the completion of an internal investigation.

The law firm representing the family of Jason Alderman, however, says BPD is trying to cover up what happened at the restaurant.

A press release from Geragos & Geragos refutes claims that the cameras at the Subway were not rolling Saturday night, saying officers confiscated footage of the shooting after it took place.

– Anthony Pollreisz