The video released on Thursday still leaves relatives and advocates with the question whether Braziel pointed his pistol at the officers before they shot him dead.
The video released shows footage from a nearby gas station and from the body cameras of the two officers who shot Alva Braziel shortly after midnight on July 9.
The video 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 Sylvester Turner said 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,” he said. “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, said the video doesn’t show whether he pointed the pistol at the officers.
“I don’t care what he had,” she said. “It don’t give no right to shoot him down. He was unharmful.”
She said 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 said the officers felt they had to ensure they were safe before activating the body cameras.
Culled from the Houston Public Media
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