FORT WORTH, Texas — Four days after a Fort Worth officer and a fire department arson investigator killed two men, police said they are not yet ready to release body camera video or answer several questions about the incident.
The officer and investigator, who have not been identified, shot and killed 30-year-old Bronshay Minter and 21-year-old Billy Smith just before 12:30 a.m. on July 5.
Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes said the two men had been tasked with illegal fireworks calls and were in the area of Ross Avenue and Northwest 32nd Street when they witnessed the two men in an argument.
“This was a very dynamic scene that just came out of nowhere,” Noakes said. “Officers weren’t even trying to respond to this scene when they came by.”
"They just came into our yard and started blatantly shooting,” Smith’s sister, Nicole Johnson, said.
Johnson said the annual block party had finished fireworks a half hour earlier.
The family said police never identified themselves or issued commands before firing. Fort Worth police were not able to respond to a question asking if the investigator and officer identified themselves.
“If you tell him to put his gun down, then my brother is going put his gun down,” Smith said.
Police said both Minter and Smith were armed but haven’t shared if they pointed weapons at police or anyone else at the scene.
Officers also found another man and woman shot but haven’t been able to say if they’re connected to the shootings of Minter and Smith, and police said Sunday they also weren’t able to share what condition the man and woman are in now.
On Wednesday, WFAA notified police of several shell casings left behind by investigators. It’s still unclear who fired them or if they’re part of the incident.
"They took my son away from me at an early age and no one seems to want to be accountable for it,” Smith’s mother, Cynthia Smith, said. “That is not how it’s supposed to be."
So far this year, Fort Worth police have shot eight people. On Friday, Noakes said they’re not yet ready to release video of the Wednesday shooting.
“We’re still compiling some information, but the plan is the early part of next week,” he said.
Smith’s family said they still have many questions and few answers from police and want the video released to fully understand what happened.
"They killed my little brother,” Johnson said. “He was still young he had a whole life to live ahead of him.”