Brevard County

‘We demand to know’: Family of man fatally shot by Titusville officer calls for transparency

TITUSVILLE, Fla. — The family of the man shot and killed by a police officer in Titusville on Sunday are demanding answers.

Loved ones identified James Lowery as the man who died in the shooting on Gayle Avenue. Police have not released many details, but say he got into a fight with an officer who then shot him.

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Lowery’s sister, Johari Brown, said her family is not only devastated, but broken.

Family members said he was the glue that kept their family together.

READ: Family demands answers after deadly officer involved shooting in Titusville

Titusville police said they first responded to a call about a suspect violently assaulting a woman.

Investigators said Lowery ran from the officer, then got into a fight with him, and that’s when the officer fired his gun.

Lowery’s family questions if the police had the right guy, and are demanding answers.

Read: Man shot and killed after attacking officer in Titusville, police say

“We just really, really want to know what happened more than anything,” Brown said. “We need the closure for our family. We need to know what happened. We demand to know what happened.”

Lowery’s family and their attorney, Natalie Jackson, are calling for transparency. Jackson sent a letter to the Titusville police chief on Wednesday regarding a potential wrongful death lawsuit in the case.

In the letter, Jackson requested police reports related to the shooting, body camera footage, statements from witnesses, a summary of any previous excessive force complaints regarding the officer involved, and more.

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Channel 9 requested any body camera video of the shooting along with dispatch calls related to it, but the Titusville police department said it won’t release anything at this time.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the officer’s use of force.

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Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson, WFTV.com

Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.