Family Demands Answers After Suspect, Juan Moreno Jr., Killed By Farmers Branch Police Officer
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - New surveillance video obtained by CBS 11 News shows the moments leading up to the deadly Farmers Branch police shooting of a man suspected of stealing a pickup truck.
The video comes as relatives and friends of the suspect, Juan "Johnny" Moreno Jr., demanded answers to find out why it happened.
Moreno Jr. leaves behind three children, the youngest five years old, who still doesn't know what happened to her dad.
Juan Moreno, the suspect's father told CBS 11 Friday morning, "I don't know how to face the five year old, the others are 15 and 12, they're taking it."
On Friday afternoon, Moreno's family and supporters went to the Farmers Branch Police Department to hold a news conference.
Among the crowd, Moreno Jr.'s 12-year-old daughter, Alexa Moreno, and 15-year-old son, Joshua Moreno.
"We just want justice. He didn't do anything for them to shoot him," Alexa said.
"He shouldn't have been shot," Joshua said.
They then went into the lobby, demanding to meet with the Chief. While that meeting never happened, the Mayor called and offered to meet with the family Monday.
Surveillance video obtained by the family shows the suspect, Moreno Jr. getting into a white pickup truck at a strip mall at Emerald Street near I-35E and Royal Lane Wednesday evening. Another man and a woman were with him.
Suddenly, a Farmers Branch police officer drove up and got out of his vehicle.
Moreno Jr. is seen trying to speed off and was shot by one of two officers near the pickup, before he crashed into another vehicle.
He was taken to a hospital where he died.
Farmers Branch police say they were monitoring Moreno Jr. who was suspected of stealing the pickup truck from Irving.
Relatives say while Moreno Jr. had a criminal history that includes drug and theft charges, they don't believe what happened was justified.
"Why would they shoot him that way?" Moreno Jr.'s father said.
"We want answers, this is injustice," Zach Lawson, the suspect's best friend, said.
The Farmers Branch police officer involved in the shooting went to the hospital with an undisclosed injury, but there was no word on his condition Friday.
A spokesman for the Dallas Police Department, which is investigating the shooting because it happened in that city, said Friday they aren't releasing any new information.
The Dallas County District Attorney's Office is conducting its own independent investigation into the shooting.
