HOUSTON – Former Harris County Deputy Cameron Brewer on Thursday was found not guilty Thursday for shooting and killing 35-year-old Danny Thomas.
“It's a relief it's over,” Brewer said.
What happened
In March 2018, 45-year-old Thomas was captured on dashcam and cellphone video wandering through a Greenspoint intersection with his pants around his ankles, slapping at cars.
Then, Brewer shot and killed Thomas, who wouldn't listen to his commands and kept approaching him.
Brewer's legal defense team said Thomas was high on PCP and was approaching Brewer, causing Brewer to back into traffic.
“When the facts of the case came out before the jury, what they heard was: The Taser was completely ineffective. It would not have worked on someone high on PCP and the state didn't contest that. He was acting in self-defense,” said Brewer’s attorney, Lisa Andrews.
What Brewer is saying
When it comes to the officer-involved shooting, Brewer said he has no regrets.
“If it was anyone there and the situation was (the) exact same, I would have reacted the same way, only because I was protecting people,” Brewer said.
What Thomas' family is saying
Thomas’ family said it is disappointed in the verdict and plans to file a civil lawsuit.
“The system failed my brother, and law enforcement completely failed my brother. My brother didn’t have a weapon. He could have tased him,” said Marketta Thomas.
Brewer said he prays for Thomas' family and the incident will stay with him as long as he lives.
“No one wants to be in this situation and it's a terrible thing, and I’ll think about it for the rest of my life,” Brewer said.
A month after the officer-involved shooting, Brewer was fired from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
What's next?
Brewer said he is now looking for a job, possibly in the law enforcement field, and plans to write a book about his journey through the trial.