Activists demand release of bodycam video after LASD deputy shoots, kills man in Willowbrook
Civil rights leaders are calling for the release of bodycam footage after a L.A. County sheriff's deputy shot and killed a man in Willowbrook.
WILLOWBROOK, Calif. (KABC) -- Civil rights activists are calling on the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to release what is believed to be the first fatal deputy-involved shooting recorded on a newly deployed bodycam unit.
The suspect, Fred Williams III, was allegedly armed last Friday at 5:30 p.m. as he was chased from Mona Park into a backyard where a deputy fired several rounds, killing the 25-year-old.
Investigators say Williams had pointed a weapon at the deputy. A semi-automatic handgun was found at the scene.
Najee Ali of Project Islamic Hope showed the top of a shed that Williams climbed to get away. The roof was dented and had imprints of shoes and hands in the dust.
Advocates for the Williams family question how Williams could scramble to the top of the shed and fire a gun when he was overweight and needed both hands to climb.
RELATED: New video released in deadly deputy-involved shooting in Willowbrook
Williams supporters, including Black Lives Matter activists, further point to private security camera footage at the home.
The video shows Williams with nothing in his hands as he was being chased by a deputy. As Williams rounded the house, he appeared to reach for his waist.
The security footage shows the deputy firing upwards towards the roof. Williams is out of camera range.
Over the weekend, the Williams family joined protesters demanding transparency from the sheriff's department.
"That was my son. It is heartbreaking, man. It's crazy. I can't find the words," said Williams' father, Fred Williams, Jr.
The activists say they will hold a press conference at the sheriff's department Tuesday in hopes that the family and their advocates can get a view of the video before it is released to the public.
If it shows the shooting was justified, the advocates say they will quiet the protests.
