KSLA News 12 Shreveport, Louisiana |NAACP & Gilyard family call for review of suspect's shooting death

NAACP & Gilyard family call for review of suspect's shooting death

Members of the Shreveport Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People are demanding a review of the finding that cleared a Shreveport Police officer in Michael Gilyard's shooting death.

Earlier this week, the Caddo Parish District Attorney cleared Shreveport Police Corporal, Bryan Lauzon of any wrongdoing in the shooting.

"It was when the man grabbed the officer's arm after the officer felt that he had a weapon...a gun...it was when the man grabbed the officer's arm that this got out of control," says D.A. Charles Scott. 

On the behalf of Gilyard's family, the local NAACP chapter announced Friday their intent to send a request to the Louisiana Attorney General and the U.S. Justice Department to review the findings.

"It's not that we're saying we don't trust our District Attorney. It's just that we want to make sure that the family feels comfortable with the findings," says Shreveport NAACP president Lloyd Thompson.

He says there are some discrepancies in what witnesses say happened, and what police say happened.

"Witnesses have given a different outlook on what happened, compared to what police officers report has come up with. After the District Attorney came out with the findings, the family was very disturbed," says Lloyd Thompson of the Shreveport Chapter of the NAACP. "They believe it ought to be an outside source looking into it, because they don't believe what was told to the DA's office was true."

Scott says he does not mind being reviewed and will help whoever does the review. "I welcome another inquiry into this. "I welcome a review of it.  There's no problem here with that," says Scott.

Shreveport Police released the officer's patrol car dash cam from the night of the shooting and authorities say that evidence is what cleared Cpl. Lauzon.

The incident happened back on December 15th at the corner of Mertis Ave. and Greenwood Rd., in Shreveport's Queensborough neighborhood.

According to police, Cpl. Lauzon was working an off duty security job in the neighborhood when the officer approached Gilyard, 44, who was acting suspiciously and the two reportedly got into a fight. Police add that at some point during the altercation, Gilyard tried to take Cpl. Lauzon's weapon and that's when Cpl. Lauzon shot Gilyard who later died from a gunshot wound to the back.

Related Stories:

• Dash cam video of officer-involved shooting released
• Caddo coroner: Man killed by officer shot in back
• SPD identifies officer involved in fatal shooting
• UPDATE: Man shot by Shreveport police officer identified

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