The family of a Killeen, Texas, man who was fatally shot by police in the front yard of his home during a mental health investigation is asking for the officer to be arrested.
The shooting happened just before 5:30 p.m. Sunday when the family of Patrick Warren sr., A black man, called police to ask for a mental health worker to be sent home.
Instead, an official who was “unwilling to deal with a mental health crisis” responded to the call, civil rights attorney Lee Merritt said at a news conference Thursday afternoon.
Merritt, who represents the family, said the officer’s attitude was “hostile” and he quickly escalated the situation.
The events that led to the shooting incident remain unclear.
The Killeen police station said officer Reynaldo Contreras was sent to the home in response to a psychiatric call. When Contreras arrived, he “encountered an emotionally fatal man,” according to a police statement.
The officer used his “guided energy weapon” on Warren, but it was not effective, police said. He then used his rifle and hit the 52-year-old man. Warren died at a hospital from his injuries.
Police in Killeen did not say why Contreras fired his weapon. The department did not return a request for comment Thursday, and Contreras could not be reached either.
The Texas Rangers, which is handling the shooting investigation, said any additional information “would be coordinated by the district attorney and the Killeen police station.”
The moments before and after the shooting were captured on video, which Merritt shared on his Twitter page on Wednesday.
In a video recorded by a Ring Doorbell camera, the officer knocks on the front door and is told to enter. After a few moments, Contreras leaves the house followed by Warren, waving his hands in the air.
Officer Warren is heard asking to climb to the ground. Someone in the house yells at Contreras not to shoot. Warren walked to the officer and out of sight of the camera.
Another video, apparently filmed on a cell phone, shows Warren getting up from the ground and walking forward outside the eye of the camera. A man yells at Warren to ‘sit down’. Several shots can be heard in the video.
“No! I told you not to use a gun,” the man shouted.
Merritt said the family called police the day before the shooting because of a mental health problem involving Warren.
A mental health resource officer responded and Warren voluntarily agreed to go to the hospital for evaluation. He later returned home.
The family called police again the next day because they were still worried about Warren, Merritt said. They asked Contreras to leave because they wanted the resource officer who had previously responded.
‘There is no reason that such a mental health call would be fatal. Mr. Warren was not aggressive. Mr. Warren was not armed. He was in his house; he was on his lawn. He was within his rights to reject the law enforcement services after it showed up, ‘the lawyer said at the press conference on Thursday.
“Their responsibility was simply to leave or send the appropriate staff to deal with this particular crisis. They let this family down in every way and it left them devastated.”
Warren’s wife, Bobbie, said her husband lost his job at a local plant due to the coronavirus pandemic. He started a gardening business so he could take care of his family.
“Patrick was a loving man, father and devoted man of God. As we deal with the pain of his sudden loss, we ask the community to join us in honoring his name and claiming justice,” she said in a statement. which her lawyer shared. .
Contreras, a 5-year veteran of the Killeen police station, has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard in shootings involving officers. Merritt said the officer should be arrested immediately.
Killeen police chief Charles Kimble said the shooting would be thoroughly investigated. The police department is also conducting a separate investigation into Home Affairs.
“This incident is rightly very worrying for the community. As Killeen police chief, 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 more facts. in this matter which is currently not publicly available, ”he said in a statement.
“I assure you that more information will be made available as soon as possible, and I ask for your patience as both investigations continue.”
