TITUSVILLE, Fla. – The city of Titusville on Friday released an explanation from the chief of police that included officers’ body-worn camera video from the February shooting when police shot and killed 25-year-old Tri-marea Charles.
Earlier this week, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement ruled the officers’ actions were lawful and justified.
The police video released Friday revealed Charles was alive momentarily after being shot. He can be heard saying, “I’m dead” multiple times to officers.
[Watch the full video released by police below]
“I’m going down. I [expletive] up my life. It’s over with,” Charles said.
In the rest of the 18-minute video police released to the media and posted to their social media, Chief John Lau narrated what he said the video shows. News 6 has requested the unedited version of the officers’ body-cam video.
As the chief said in February when he spoke to Titusville’s NAACP, he said Charles tripped and dropped the gun as he ran out of the house.
Police were at the house because the chief said someone called about a shooting. Next, Lau said Charles pushed and threw a punch at an officer before picking up the gun.
Lau said while Charles ran away from one officer, he ran with the gun toward an officer, too. Police didn’t talk to reporters for interviews Friday about the video they made.
Lau said had Charles lived, he would have faced charges including aggravated assault on police.
The family — and many in the community — had been demanding the footage for months.
Charles’ mother, Samantha, has led that charge, attending city council meetings, prayer vigils and protests.
“Y’all — 16 times shooting a person that was running away. Stop killing us… how, how,” she said in a previous council meeting.
Titusville police said Charles was shot outside a property on Robbins Avenue after he picked up a modified Glock pistol he had dropped and then charged at an officer.
The department said Charles had ignored verbal commands and took a swing at officers before re-arming himself.
State Attorney William Scheiner said the video confirms Charles’ actions and refusal to comply.
Titusville Mayor Andrew Connors addressed the ruling, saying, “Now that the report is out, I think our community can now come together and heal. And that’s the important thing. Because regardless of what the report says, somebody lost their life.”
Samantha Charles was allowed to privately view the video Thursday at the Titusville Police Department.
“I never said my son was right or wrong. I just wanna see the truth,” she said.