The family of a man shot to death by police in Killeen, Texas in the front yard of his home is calling for the arrest of the policeman.
The shooting took place on Sunday, just before 5:30 pm, when the family of Patrick Warren Sr., a black man, called the police to ask for a mental health professional to be sent home.
Civil rights lawyer Lee Merritt, who is representing the family, told NBC affiliate KCEN-TV that the family was informed that a mental health representative was not available, so a police officer was sent.
The Killeen Police Department said that policeman Reynaldo Contreras was sent to the home in response to a psychiatric call. When Contreras arrived, he “found a man emotionally disturbed,” according to a police statement.
The officer used his “powered energy weapon” on Warren, but it was not effective, the police said. He then used his weapon, targeting the 52-year-old. Warren died in a hospital due to his injuries.
It is unclear what led Contreras to fire his weapon. The Killeen Police Department did not return a request for comment on Thursday. Contreras also did not immediately return a request for comment.
Texas Rangers, which is conducting the investigation into the shooting, said it would not release information at this time “so that the integrity of the investigation is not compromised”.
The moments before and after the shooting were recorded on video, which Merritt shared on Wednesday on his Twitter page.
In a video captured by a Doorbell camera, the policeman knocks on the front door and is instructed to enter. After a few moments, Contreras leaves the house followed by Warren, who is waving his hands in the air.
The officer is heard asking Warren to get down on the floor. Someone in the house yells at Contreras not to shoot. Warren walks towards the officer and out of the camera’s field of view.
Another video, apparently filmed on a cell phone, shows Warren rising from the floor and walking forward, out of sight of the camera. A man yells for Warren to “sit down”. Several shots can be heard in the video.
“No! I told you not to use a gun,” yells the man.
Contreras, a 5-year veteran of the Killeen Police Department, has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard practice in police shootings. Merritt said the officer should be arrested immediately.
“#PatrickWarrenSr was murdered by @KilleenPD. He was on his own property. He was unarmed. He was suffering from a mental health crisis and simply needed help,” tweeted the lawyer. “Instead, he was shot three times in the chest and received a shock. We demand the immediate arrest of this officer.”
Warren’s wife, Bobbie, said her husband had lost his job at a local factory because of the coronavirus pandemic. He had started a landscaping business in order to support his family.
“Patrick was a loving husband, father and devoted man to God. As we deal with the pain of his sudden loss, we are asking the community to join us in honoring his name and demanding justice,” she said in a statement shared by her lawyer.
Killeen’s police chief, Charles Kimble, said there would be a full investigation into the shooting. The police department is also conducting a separate Internal Affairs investigation.
“This incident is rightfully of great concern to the community. As Chief of Police in Killeen, it is my duty to ensure that a thorough investigation is conducted so that all parties, including the public, have the answers they are looking for. There are many other facts in these cases that are not publicly available at this time, “he said in a statement.
“I assure you that more information will be made available as soon as appropriate, and I ask for your patience while both investigations continue.”
