MCKINNEY (WBAP/KLIF) – The family of the University of North Texas student who Denton Police say was shot and killed by one of its officers is calling for the release of body cam video of the shooting.
According to the Denton Police Department, Darius Tarver was shot by a responding officer after charging him with a frying pan. But family attorney Lee Merritt said Tuesday at a press conference in the family’s hometown of McKinney that Tarver was suffering a brain injury from a recent car accident.
“Police were called when Tarver was observed breaking overhead light bulbs with a skillet,” said Merritt. “This behavior was consistent with the extreme sensitivity to light and difficulty with impulse control resulting from a severe impact to the brain.”
Tarver’s father, Kevin Tarver is a chaplain for the McKinney Police Department and said Tuesday that he was allowed to view the body cam footage. He said the “narrative” from Denton Police about the shooting doesn’t match what he saw and that his son showed signs of a troubled person, not a criminal.
Merritt is calling for the immediate release of the body cam footage to his investigators.
The Denton Police Department said Tuesday that the death of Darius Tarver is currently under criminal investigation by the Texas Rangers, with a concurrent administrative investigation being conducted by the Denton Police Department Internal Affairs. The investigation by the Texas Rangers will evaluate whether any criminal violations of law occurred. The Internal Affairs investigation will determine whether use of force was appropriate. Upon conclusion of the investigation,
“The death of Darius is tragic for all involved, including our community at large,” Denton PD said in a statement. “Our collective
hearts go out to the Tarver family, as well as friends and students at the University of North Texas.
Listen to Clayton Neville’s story below:
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