US

Houston Mayor Asks Dept. Of Justice To Investigate Police Shooting Of Armed Man

Photographer: Aaron M. Sprecher/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Abbey Shockley Contributor
Font Size:

Mayor Sylvester Turner released a statement on Monday that affirmed he is standing behind the Houston Police Department in the shooting of Alva Braziel.

The shooting occurred at 12:40 a.m. on Saturday, after police officers patrolling Houston’s Southside found an armed black man in the street. Braziel was reportedly firing shots into the air and would not comply when officers L. Lopez and E. Marcias repeatedly ordered him to put down his weapon.

Click2Houston.com reported that Houston police said a witness also told Braziel to put the gun down. Officers opened fire when the man reportedly pointed his gun in their direction.

The mayor weighed in on a video taken from a gas station saying, “I see Mr. Braziel step toward the police with his right arm extended toward them.”

The statement continues that there is video of a bystander corroborating the story that Braziel had a gun and that officers recovered the weapon from his right hand. Turner has requested that the officers’ body cam videos and all videos pertaining to the incident be released as soon as possible.

In a move to “further address community concerns,” the mayor has also asked the Department of Justice to investigate the shooting. Turner hopes that these actions will help the public “conclude we have been transparent.”

Turner also called on the community to remain peaceful during this time, even though “tensions are running high.”

Braziel’s wife told KPRC 2 that he was wandering the streets because “somebody stole his horse.”