MESQUITE, Texas — Mesquite's police chief told WFAA Monday night that he expects body camera footage of a 19-year-old being shot and killed by an officer to be released to the public this Thursday at the earliest.
That information came on the heels of the teen's family pleading for transparency at a council meeting Monday evening.
Last Thursday, 19-year-old Payton Lawrence was shot and killed by a 17-year department veteran, per a release. The teen was traveling alongside a stolen vehicle, per that release, and was confronted by the officer when he was parked at a gas station adjacent to the stolen car, which was unoccupied at the time of that confrontation.
When the officer approached Lawrence's car, two individuals ran from the gas station and are still at large currently. The three other occupants in Lawrence's car stayed where they were.
But the department said in a release that the officer fired three times at Lawrence when he was uncooperative with his commands to turn off the vehicle and to stop moving it.
It credited "furtive" movements inside the car during the interaction as another reason for the officer opening fire.
But at no point in the release did the department note that the officer's life was being threatened as a reason for their opening fire. It added that multiple firearms were recovered from Lawrence's car but did not say that they were illegally obtained or possessed. It's not a crime to have a gun in your vehicle in Texas.
Two men inside Lawrence's car were detained and let go, while the third was arrested on outstanding warrants.
Stephen Lawrence, Payton's father, asked the department to release all the footage from the officer's encounter with his son and any supplemental footage that may have captured what happened.
While speaking before the council--the mayor did offer Lawrence's family his condolences.
"I'm not saying that all officers are bad--but this situation is bad," Lawrence said at the podium. "When I look at you all up here -- I don't see concern. It's just normal business for y'all, and that's sad."
Lawrence, loved ones, and other community leaders protested in front of city hall leading up to the council meeting.
"We appreciate the mayor and the chief, but we're trying to get answers. We want the video ASAP," Lawrence said.
The officer at the center of the shooting has not been identified.
Lawrence's family is raising money for his funeral.