An Ohio man was fatally shot by police while cleaning out his late grandmother’s home.
Officers in the city of Wyoming, near Cincinnati, shot twenty-eight-year-old Joe Frasure on January 30. According to family members, Frasure and his father were at home on the 300 block of Durrell Avenue when police responded to a 911 call reporting people breaking into the residence, NBC reported.
Authorities said Frasure fled to his minivan and refused to follow orders to leave. Police Chief Brooke Brady said the vehicle then went back at a high rate of speed, before hitting a tree, at which point the vehicle quickly accelerated to our officers.”
Four shots were fired, and the car reportedly hit property. Frasure was taken to an area hospital, where he died Tuesday.
This incident comes amid intense debate about policing in America, following the release of body camera footage of five officers in Memphis, Tennessee, executing Tire Nichols.
“I want the Wyoming Police Department to be mentally evaluated to see if they are fit for duty and that [carry] firearm,” Frasure’s brother said during a live-streamed protest outside the police precinct. “I want the [department] to be held accountable for murdering my brother.”
The family is now demanding that the body camera video be released. According to The Cincinnati Inquirer, The Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into the shooting.
“This is a tragedy for everyone involved,” Ms Brady said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family at this time.”
Frasure’s sister, Shonda Coleman, was present during the shooting,” according to WLWT.
“I haven’t heard any of that. I heard no orders. All I heard was pop, pop, pop, pop. Like, like, 10 rounds,” Ms Coleman told the outlet. “I want to see the crooked body. I want all those cops [were] here, all of them who were here, I want their information.”
The outlet reported that Frasure may have been trying to flee from the police because there was a warrant out for his arrest. Frasure’s father told the network that he also tried to flee because he was threatened by the police.
According to a GoFundMe account created to cover funeral expenses, Frasure was a father of two with a baby on the way.
The Wyoming City Police Department is expected to provide updates on the ongoing investigation on Friday.