HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – The Harris County deputy who killed Danny Ray Thomas on March 22 was terminated Friday due to a recommendation by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Administrative Disciplinary Committee.
WATCH: Dashcam video of fatal deputy-involved shooting
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez accepted the recommendation and terminated Deputy Cameron Brewer, who had been on administrative leave since the shooting.
The recommendation was made based on an Internal Affairs investigation in which it was determined that Brewer did not adhere to the Sheriff's Office use of force policy.
"Just knowing he was fired. That’s just step one. Just a little bit of a relief to me," Thomas' sister Markeeta Thomas-Smith said. "I think he should be charged with a crime -- which is murder."
Brewer was on patrol the day of the shooting when he saw Thomas involved in an altercation with the driver of a vehicle near the intersection of Greens Road and Imperial Valley.
Thomas' pants were around his ankles at the time.
Thomas ignored Brewer's commands and continued walking toward the deputy, who fired a single shot and killed Thomas, who was unarmed.
Brewer had a Taser at the time.
“The brave men and women of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office are called upon to make life-or-death decisions on a daily basis, and we take that responsibility very seriously,” Gonzalez said. “We hold the community’s trust as sacred, and we will continue to support our deputies with clear policies and the valuable training they need to protect the lives of all our residents.”
At the time of its release, Gonzalez called the video concerning and said his office would be transparent and thorough in its investigation into whether Brewer violated policy.
Brewer initially told internal investigators that he opened fire because he feared for his life and believed Thomas might have had something in his hand, Gonzalez said.