On Friday, Kevin Tarver Sr. sat in the third seat on the left in the front row of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Plano. It is where his son, Darius Tarver, sat for service last Sunday.
"It's kinda overwhelming to sit here," Kevin said.
Pastor Isiah Joshua remembers seeing the 23-year-old UNT student walk up to the front of the church from the balcony. The family tells WFAA that Darius came to dedicate his life to Christ.
"What he did on Sunday...it's eternal. It's forever," Joshua said.
Just one week earlier, Darius had survived a bad car accident where family told WFAA the roads were icy that day. The crash put him in the ICU and he was released from the hospital the next day.
The family shared concerns that his release may have been too early and the family worries the accident changed him.
Then two days later, the criminal justice major was shot and killed by police officers. Denton police told WFAA that officers responded to calls of someone acting erratically at the apartment complex Forum at Denton Station on Inman Street.
Multiple people called 911 shortly saying a man was banging on numerous doors and yelling for people to open them up.
Police say Darius had a cleaver in one hand and a frying pan in the other. Authorities say he ignored officer's commands and charged at officers after being tased.
Detectives say an officer was stabbed during the confrontation but was treated and released from the hospital.
Kevin is a chaplain with McKinney police and said he's struggling with that narrative. He says he is deeply bothered by how outsiders have characterized his son.
"His joy and his personality; it was nothing but love. That's who D.J. was," Kevin said.
A father described his son as a smart man who worked two jobs and was working on a criminal justice degree. The family tells WFAA that Darius wanted to go into law enforcement.
"I need to know if my son's life could have been preserved or if it was needlessly taken," Kevin said.
On Friday, family members gathered at the church where Darius was dedicated and for them, there was some comfort in that.
"Never put off tomorrow what you can do today. Never," Joshua said.
Together they prayed for peace and they prayed for answers. Kevin is also a pastor with a local church in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
"God don't make mistakes but people do and I need answers," Kevin said.
The following funding page has been created to help the family with upcoming expenses.
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