Friends React To Accused Murderer's Death After Officer-Involved Shooting
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GRAND PRAIRIE (CBSDFW.COM) - An accused murderer waiting for his day in court died after a fight with a police officer, and family friends reacted to his death.
30-year-old Joshua Henry was out on bond after his arrest for the murder of a Fort Worth businesswoman.
Police were called to his home Friday night. That's when a domestic disturbance turned deadly.
Police said Josh Henry's own family called them for help, but longtime friends said they never expected him to end up dead in his own driveway.
Growing up a few houses down from Josh Henry and his family, Sharlot Hooper couldn't believe it when she found herself in his front yard moments after the shooting.
"Josh looked me straight in the eye, and there was... his eyes were pure black," said Hooper.
Minutes earlier Hooper heard the gunshot and ran across the street to find a Grand Prairie police officer restraining Henry's mother.
"She was screaming, 'let me up, I want to be with my son; you shot him for no reason,'" said Hooper.
Henry was out of jail on bond after Fort Worth police arrested him saying he had confessed to the December murder of Fort Worth business owner Nicole Blahitka.
In an interview from jail he maintained his innocence.
"I think that people in the public will hold this and say, yeah he was probably confrontational or whatever because of his history. That is not Josh," said Hooper's mother Nelda Bell.
Bell knew Henry his whole life.
She said his mother called police to say her son was having a mental breakdown and wanted someone to talk to him.
Investigators said when the responding officer got to the home, Henry assaulted him which caused the officer to fire a single shot.
"She was trying to get help for him and then this is what happened," said Bell.
"It's hard to see someone die in front of you knowing that you can't do anything," said Hooper.
Grand Prairie police said the shooting was captured on the officer's body camera video and is under review by investigators.
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