Jalen Randle's family says HPD bodycam video of son shot to death proves officer should be fired, charged
HOUSTON - The family of a man shot and killed by a Houston police officer is calling for the officer to be fired. Relatives say they also plan to file a lawsuit against the Houston Police Department.
Jalen Randle was shot and killed by Houston Police Officer Shane Privette on April 27, 2022, as officers tried to arrest Randle for outstanding warrants, and now that the body cam video of the shooting has been released the family says they want criminal charges filed against the officer.
MORE: Houston police release video from deadly shooting of Jalen Randle by officer
After several minutes of Houston Police officers trying to stop the vehicle Jalen Randle was a passenger in, you see in the police body cam video, that as soon as Randle jumps out to run he’s shot in the back of the neck.
"What more do you need to see? You can’t get shot in the back of your neck coming towards somebody," Randle’s father Warren Randle says. "There was no aggression shown. There was no reason why you (the officer) should have been scared or anything like that."
"No reason to shoot a person going away from you. No reason." Attorney Ben Crump adds.
"My heart is hurting. It’s like a piece of my heart has been taken from me." says Randle’s mother Tiffany Rachal.
Police were pursuing Randle to arrest him for three felony warrants stemming from an incident in March 2022, when he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend and threatened her with a gun.
BACKGROUND: 'Violent fugitive' shot, killed by Houston police following short pursuit
However, Randle's family Attorney Ben Crump points out HPD Officer Shane Privette was also charged with Aggravated Assault back in 2019, a charge that was later expunged after a second grand jury chose not to indict the officer.
"He (Privette) was indicted for Aggravated Assault for using excessive force against another black citizen. Why was he on the force anyway at this time? We are calling for the police department, HPD to terminate Officer Privette immediately." Crump adds.
RELATED: Independent autopsy reveals Jalen Randle, killed by HPD, was shot in back of neck
"So my thing is, the video proves this was what he (Officer Privette) was planning. This was on his heart to kill my son." Rachal cries, and she says her son’s daughter is still expecting her dad to come home and doesn’t fully comprehend that he never will. "This baby right here we have to raise without a father because of his (Privette’s) intent and what he wanted to do."
A gun was found inside the bag Randle was carrying after he was shot and killed, but family members say the video proves he didn’t reach for the gun.
"I’m devastated. I’m devastated. I’m tired of crying. I'm tired of wondering when are they going to do something to get him off the street. He’s getting paid to murder my child." Rachal says.
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"If that was one of us caught on video doing that how long would it take for them to charge us? But when it’s the police they say oh we’ve got to go through this exhaustive investigation. We don’t want you to devalue us because of the color of our skin. We don’t want you to marginalize us because of the color of our skin. What we seek is equal justice under law." Crump adds.
The family says they have plans to meet with Harris County District Attorney Ogg. The DA’s office released the following statement:
"In every officer-involved shooting, our Civil Rights Division prosecutors conduct a thorough, independent review of all the evidence and present every bit of evidence to a Harris County grand jury to determine if a criminal charge is warranted. We also await the results of the Houston Police Department’s investigation".
HPD says Privette remains on paid administrative duties pending the outcome of the investigation.