Lawsuit Filed Against Deputy Who Killed Unarmed Man

HOUSTON, TX — The family of an unarmed man who was shot and killed by a Harris County Sheriff’s deputy last month announced Thursday that a lawsuit had been filed.

Ben Crump and Bob Hilliard, attorneys for the family, issued a joint statement announcing the lawsuit against Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Cameron Brewer.

“In Houston, Danny Ray Thomas — an unarmed black man who was clearly in mental distress — was shot and killed by a Harris County deputy sheriff moments after the deputy arrived at a busy intersection. Thomas was visibly unarmed, wobbling unsteadily, and had his pants around his ankles. Thomas was not a bad man; he was just a man who was suffering with mental illness. Rather than try to help, the deputy sheriff drew his weapon, demanded that Thomas get on the ground — and seconds later, fired at Thomas, killing him with a single fatal shot,” the joint statement read. “Deputy Cameron Brewer’s actions violated Danny Ray Thomas’ constitutional rights and were an extreme, excessive, and unwarranted use of force. These actions were objectively unreasonable based on the circumstances, and we will do everything in our power to seek justice for his family.”

The lawsuit alleges that Brewer used excessive force and violated Thomas’ constitutional rights in shooting and killing Thomas, instead of trying to de-escalate the incident, and seeks unspecified monetary damages.

RELATED: Sheriff Vows Thorough Investigation In Deputy-Involved Shooting

Brewer shot and killed the 34-year-old Thomas after the deputy saw Thomas involved in a shoving match with another man on March 22.

Thomas, who witnesses said was acting strangely, had his pants down around his ankles and began walking toward Brewer, who had his weapon drawn.

Brewer told Thomas several times to stop and lie face down, but Thomas kept coming toward him.

Seconds later, Brewer fired a single shot, killing Thomas.

The incident was captured on the sheriff’s vehicle dash-mounted camera, and recorded by several onlookers, but none of those recorded the actual shooting.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez has promised a thorough investigation into the shooting.

The case is still under investigation, and Brewer remains on administrative duty.

Image: From left, Attorney Ben Crump, Marketta Thomas, and Attorney Bob Hilliard appear in front of the Harris County Civil Court in Houston on Thursday, April 12, 2018. At a press conference, the lawyers announced a lawsuit in the police shooting of Danny Ray Thomas, brother of Marketta Thomas. Credit: Jason Risner Photography

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