By Florian Martin, Houston Public Media News for Audio Texas
HOUSTON – Mayor Sylvester Turner released video footage Thursday (21 July) of the recent police shooting of a black man on Houston’s southside. It seems to put to rest rumors that Alva Braziel was unarmed, but his family still has questions.
There are two videos: one from a nearby gas station and another from the body cameras of the two officers who shot Alva Braziel shortly after midnight on July 9th.
The footage from the body cameras starts directly after the shooting and shows a pistol in Braziel’s hand as he’s lying dead on the middle of Cullen Street.
Mayor Turner says he wanted to release the video to ease tensions.
“Especially by virtue of what was being put out online, that Mr. Braziel had his arms up, unarmed, and then was shot by police. That narrative was untrue.”
In the body cam video, the officers can be heard saying that Braziel was holding his gun up and then lowering it towards them. That’s when they started shooting. Braziel’s wife, Nikki, says the video doesn’t show whether he pointed the pistol at the officers.
“I don’t care what he had. It don’t give no right to shoot him down. He was unharmful.”
She says Braziel was out looking for his horse, but she couldn’t say why he brought a gun. The footage from the gas station shows Braziel with his hands up but it’s too far away to see whether he actually pointed his pistol at the officers. In a statement, Houston police Chief Martha Montalvo says the officers felt they had to ensure they were safe before activating the body cameras.
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