Advocates call for action in officer-involved shooting that killed Nicolas Chavez

HOUSTON – Advocates on Friday are marching through downtown Houston to call for action in the officer-involved shooting that killed a man nearly two months ago.

Nicolas Chavez was shot and killed April 21. Police said they believed the 27-year-old had a “pointed object” and charged at officers. A cellphone video recorded by a witness appeared to show Chavez on his knees when he was shot by officers. Houston police have not released video from body cameras worn by officers the night of the shooting.

Wearing T-shirts with Chavez’s face on them, carrying signs and chanting, protesters stood on the sidewalk across from the Harris County Criminal Courthouse and demanded again that Houston police release the body camera footage in connection with the case.

Protesters said Chavez was suffering from a mental health crisis when he was shot by officers.

“Where was that police officer that could’ve said, ‘Hey! Wait a minute. Don’t shoot so quickly.‘?” one protester asked.

“The training needs to change,” one of the protesters said. “It needs to change to de-escalation.”

Houston police Chief Art Acevedo was joined earlier this month by Chavez’s widow and family members of other people killed in those shootings who said they understood why Acevedo is reluctant to release the videos.