Swift investigation promised after Harris County deputy shoots unarmed man to death

Protesters demand answers after deputy-involved shooting leaves man dead

HOUSTON – On Monday evening Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, Rep. Sehila Jackson Lee and other local leaders attended a town hall meeting in regard to 34-year-old Danny Thomas who was shot to death by a deputy.

Members from the Greens Point community voiced their concerns and questioned why other de-escalation tactics were not used.

"Something that I would personally like to see changed is just the de-escalation process that are applied to make that necessary when you're dealing with individuals to go through a checkpoint, or checks and balances, hey did you assess the mental capacity, did you attempt to restrain them before you shot them or tase them or options that you have before you shoot them,” said Terrance Koontz with the Texas Organization Project. 

WATCH: Dashcam video of fatal deputy-involved shooting 

During the town hall, Jackson Lee said she has ordered a federal investigation into Thomas' death.

Last week, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office released dashcam video that  showed Thomas, unarmed, walking toward Deputy Cameron Brewer just before Brewer opened fire.

Brewer happened to be driving in the area, Gonzalez said, and was not responding to a call for service. Thomas can be seen in the video walking in the middle of an intersection with his pants around his ankles.

When Brewer parked near the intersection in his police SUV, dashcam video shows Thomas approaching another driver, who shoves him. Thomas then points in Brewer’s direction and walks toward him. 

Not seen in the video, Brewer can be heard shouting commands at Thomas, “Get back! Get back! Get down! I’ll shoot you!” 

Witness videos and the dashcam footage all show Thomas appearing to ignore Brewer’s commands, walking toward the deputy, his hands at his side, as the deputy backpedals. Brewer shouts nearly a dozen commands in 15 seconds before shooting Thomas in his chest.  

The shot can be heard in dashcam and witness videos, but not seen. It happens just out of frame in two videos and is obscured by a truck driving by in the third video.

“We hold the public’s trust as sacred, and we know that this trust must be earned every single day,” Gonzalez said. “I will personally see to it that our investigation is conducted fairly, thoroughly, and expeditiously.” 

Gonzalez called the video “concerning” and said his office would be “transparent and thorough” in its investigation into whether Brewer violated policy. That investigation is expected to take 30 days. 

Brewer was issued a body camera on Thursday, the day of the shooting, Gonzalez said, but was not wearing it at the time. The camera was apparently charging in the car. 

Possible repercussions for violating policy could include suspension or termination, Gonzalez said.  
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. Thomas was unarmed. 

Thomas’ family said the 34-year-old was not in his right mind and he was having a tough time. His wife is accused of drowning their two children in a bath tub, then burying them under a house.