Victim’s family calls for release of video

BENBROOK, Texas – The family of a man killed by Benbrook police last week wants to see video of the shooting.

According to the Department of Public Safety, Kenneth Woods had a gun, but his family says they never knew he had a gun.

Keiyana Hamilton says her fiancé Woods called 911 on July 24 because he needed help.

“He asked for help. That’s all. He just wanted some help,” Hamilton said.

Benbrook Police responded to the Sagamore Apartments unit and the 36-year-old was killed.

“We want to see and hear what happened,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton, Woods’ mother, and their attorneys say they do not believe they are hearing the whole truth.

A statement from the Department of Public Safety says: “At approximately 11:48 p.m., Benbrook Police responded to a 911 call in the 5600 block of Bellaire Drive South. A female caller stated she was in an apartment with several young children and her adult son, who refused to allow her and the children to leave the apartment.”

Bernadette Williams, Woods’ mother, was too emotional to speak on Thursday.

Her attorney says Woods called 911 but spoke briefly with the operator about her son’s state of mind.

Keiyana Hamilton has two children with Woods and says she is pregnant with a third. She was one of those in the apartment but did not see what happened.

“I just heard them come in. I heard gunshots, I heard a lot of banging and then silence and then more gunshots,” she said.

In a statement in the days following the incident, investigators with the Department of Public Safety wrote: “While officers were on scene, multiple shots were fired by Woods inside the apartment. Woods, armed with a handgun, jumped from a second-story window. Once outside, officers commanded Woods to remove his hands from the gun. Woods did not comply and officers used deadly force.”

Hamilton says she never saw Woods with a gun and did not know he owned one.

The family and their attorneys say they have repeatedly requested that DPS show them the video, which has not happened, with DPS citing the ongoing investigation.

“They know enough to bring a story to the media. They know enough to say he had a gun, but they didn’t show it to us. They didn’t let us see it,” said Dimitri Dube, one of the family’s lawyers.

“We just want answers. Any family in this situation would want to know what happened to their loved one,” said Larry Taylor, who is also representing the family.

It will take weeks for the autopsy that has been performed to produce results from the toxicology tests.

According to DPS, the investigation is ongoing and no further information will be released.