HOUSTON – The Houston Police Department on Wednesday released surveillance video of events leading up to the deadly shooting of Jordan Baker by an HPD officer.
In the video, Baker can be seen in the background riding his bicycle through the parking lot of a strip center. He's then approached by a Houston police officer.
The two talk, then Baker runs away. The officer starts walking back to his car, then turns around and chases Baker. The deadly shooting happened off camera.
Minutes later, several patrol cars and police officers arrive at the scene.
"The video does not show the actual shooting, but it shows the moments leading up and it's important to understand why did this confrontation happen in the first place," lawyer David Owens said.
Baker's family and its attorney announced Wednesday afternoon that they have filed a lawsuit against the city of Houston and the police officer who shot and killed Baker. They are seeking damages.
They also pressured the police department to release the video. They said Baker, a 24-year-old college student and father, was unarmed and never should have been shot.
"I'm not going to stop until we get some time of justice for Jordan. I owe that to him. I owe that to his son. He looks at me and he wants answers," his mother, Janet Baker, said.
Houston police chief Charles McClelland released a statement Wednesday that read, "After consulting with the City Attorney and the Mayor, and in the interest of public trust and transparency, we have agreed to release the surveillance videos obtained in the Jordan Baker investigation. These surveillance videos were obtained from private entities. During the course of the investigation, no video evidence was discovered or recovered that captured the shooting incident."
The video's release came two days after a group of community activists gathered at HPD headquarters to demand the release of the video.
Houston Police Officer Juventino Castro shot and killed 26-year-old Baker on Jan. 16, 2014, at a northwest side strip center.
Castro was working a second job as a security guard in the area after a string of burglaries.
Castro told police that he tried to question Baker, but the man ran, then struggled with him. Castro said he opened fire on Baker after he appeared to reach for something in his waistband.
Baker was not armed.
In a statement, HPD said: “The Houston Police Department has completed the administrative and criminal investigations regarding the officer-involved shooting of Mr. Jordan Baker. The HPD officer’s action in this matter was determined to be within compliance with departmental policy and state law. The incident was also reviewed by a Harris County grand jury and the Independent Police Oversight Board."