Family demands answers after fatal police shooting in Bel-Ridge
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – The officer-involved shooting happened in the 3300 block of Wellsberg on Wednesday.
Police identified the man shot and killed as 37-year-old Troy C. Hamilton. His family says right now they have more questions than answers.
"I'm devastated by this loss. I have not heard any reason for this tragedy," said Charles Hamilton, the father of Troy C. Hamilton. "We never even heard why the police were stopping him in the first place."
Support is coming from community leaders, who say Hamilton's death raises serious concerns.
"Families look for a transparent investigation with all the details that should be afforded to them. That's what they're asking for. Just nothing under the rug, nothing hidden and transparency," said John Bowman, involved with the NAACP St. Louis County branch.
Hamilton's sister, Erica, says her brother was more than just another statistic; he was loved.
"He was a good person. He was a family man and he was private. He had to be fearful for his life to feel like he had to run from his driveway in his car into the house," she said.
Leaders with the Urban League also stood with the family.
"This family, what it deserves, justice, fact finding and wherever the facts lead us. We have got to be ready to accept wherever the facts lead. But we have to ensure that this family gets the justice that it deserves," James Clark, involved with the Urban League, said.
The North County Police Cooperative is leading the investigation, but the NAACP is urging the St. Louis county prosecutor and county police department to take it over.
"There needs to be more daylight between the core police department and the police department being investigative, which is sane. And so we would like to see the prosecutor request that Saint Louis County conduct this investigation because they have the equipment and the expertise that's needed to be transparent and give a thorough investigation. And we want this family to receive the justice that they are deserving of and the clarity as to what happened during this incident," Bowman said.
