MISSOURI CITY, Texas – Congressman Al Green and local leaders are coming together to help a family, who is mourning the death of a loved one that was fatally shot by an undercover Harris County Sheriff’s deputy in April.
Green released a new surveillance video from the family’s home in Missouri City. They said the video shows the deputy’s car leaving the scene and then returning five minutes later. The family and Green continue to question the integrity of the investigation.
“175 days ago, Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Tu Tran killed Joshua Johnson,” Green said at the site of Johnson’s questionable shooting death. “For nearly six months, I have worked with my constituents, Mr. and Mrs. Beary, to uncover the truth about what happened to their son and to determine whether there is probable cause for an arrest for Deputy Tran. Unfortunately, the new evidence we have discovered has raised more questions than answers.”
For the first time, Joshua Johnson’s father, Richard Beary, spoke about his son for the first time.
“This young man here, Joshua, was my son. He was 35-year-old and didn’t deserve to die,” Beary said in tears Wednesday.
Johnson, a Navy veteran, was shot down the street from his parents' home on East Ritter Circle on April 22.
“I was a father...a father that would have glad took a bullet for his family-- for his son,” Beary said.
According to investigators, Johnson was shot and killed by a Harris County Sheriff’s deputy on the Gulf Coast Task Force who was on a stakeout for a capital murder suspect in October. Investigators said Johnson was watching the home of a hospitalized neighbor, who lived down the street from his parent’s home when Johnson approached the deputy’s unmarked vehicle.
“If the evidence is there, we demand to know what it is and we demand the opportunity to see the evidence. 175 days is just too long,” Green said.
Investigators said Johnson knocked on the window and showed the undercover deputy a flashlight and a BB gun. Investigators said words were exchanged and then the deputy, later identified as Tu Tran, a 12-year veteran of the HCSO, shot Johnson killing him.
“Joshua was alive. Joshua could have been saved if this officer had acted judiciously. [The deputy] moved away. [Johnson] could have received medical attention sooner,” Green said.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office released the following statement: “The Sheriff’s Office has thoroughly investigated this incident and turned all known evidence over to the District Attorney’s Office to determine whether charges are appropriate. We encourage anyone who believes they have additional evidence to share it with prosecutors.”
Johnson’s family said they want accountability for the deputy and are pushing for independent investigators to look into officer-involved shootings.
“I want justice. I want peace,” Beary said.