ST. AMANT — Louisiana State Police released body-cam footage on Friday from a traffic stop in which a trooper shot and killed Brandon Nicholas. 

WATCH THE FULL VIDEO FROM STATE POLICE HERE:

According to State Police, around 2:00 a.m. on Oct. 1, a trooper initiated a traffic stop at the corner of La. 431 and La. 935.  LSP said that after an altercation, the trooper "discharged his service weapon," resulting in Nicholas being taken to the hospital before being later pronounced dead. The trooper was not injured. State Police said they did recover a loaded firearm at the scene.

In the video, the trooper pulled Nicholas over for a busted taillight. The trooper had Nicholas meet him behind his car to ask about the broken taillight, and then asked him to get his driver's license from inside the car.

"Look, before you go reach in it, any guns or anything in the car?" the trooper asked. "No, sir," Nicholas replied. According to LSP, Nicholas was a convicted felon and not legally allowed to have a gun.

When Nicholas opened the driver's door, the trooper smelled marijuana and saw a pistol on the floorboard, LSP said. In the video, the trooper then told Nicholas to get out of the car and that he was being detained. When the trooper tried to put him in handcuffs, Nicholas appeared to resist the trooper and got in the car to drive off. State police said Nicholas "lunged into the vehicle and reached towards the gun."

At that point, the trooper pulled out his gun and fired multiple shots at Nicholas as he drove away. According to state police, the trooper's body cam became dislodged during the scuffle.

Police said Nicholas drove about a mile and a half before coming to a stop. The trooper followed him down the road and yelled for Nicholas to get out of the stopped vehicle for several minutes before more troopers, deputies and EMS arrived. Nicholas was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

State police said they found Nicholas' pistol in a ditch on the side of the road between where the traffic stop happened and where Nicholas' vehicle stopped. LSP said that forensic testing done at its crime lab "directly linked the recovered firearm to Nicholas."

LSP Superintendent Col. Robert P. Hodges said they are still investigating the incident.