Dayton community members want answers after teen shot and killed by police
Jul. 4—Eight local activists, community members and leaders voiced their concerns at the Wednesday Dayton City Commission meeting, saying they still have questions and major concerns about the death of Brian Moody, a 16-year-old boy who was shot dead by police last weekend.
"I remain concerned about the shooting death of 16-year-old Brian Moody on Saturday evening. He was a child," said Joshua Ward, senior pastor at Omega Baptist Church in northwest Dayton. "Neither the recent wave of gun violence nor the multiple negative images of Brian that have been flooded throughout media outlets over the past few days should be used to somehow justify the death sentence that was doled out to him on Saturday evening."
Dayton police on Monday released partial clips of video footage — about 35 seconds long combined — from body cameras worn by two police officers who fired eight shots at Moody, who died after being struck once in the shoulder, which led to internal injuries, police officials said.
Moody was fatally shot on the evening of Saturday, June 29, in a grassy lot next to a home along Negley Place in northwest Dayton.
Dayton police Chief Kamran Afzal on Monday said Moody was shot after he turned toward officers while holding an automatic handgun in his hand that had 31 rounds.
Multiple speakers at the commission meeting said they watched the snippets of body cam footage that were released and they saw no justification for why the officers opened fire on Moody. Police released images of a gun lying in the grass next to where Moody was fatally shot.
Several speakers said Moody was "murdered" and multiple people said the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office should not be in charge of the criminal investigation into the officers' actions because it has close ties to the city and is not a neutral party.
Ward said it's possible the community does not yet have all the relevant facts and maybe there's more to this story. But he said something about this incident does not feel right.
"If this video is all that we have, I will simply say it isn't enough," he said. "It isn't enough to convince me that Brian ever pointed a gun at the officer or in any way threatened his life or safety."
The Rev. Carrlo Heard, an assistant pastor with Omega Baptist, said he watched the body cam footage 10 times and he doesn't see any evidence that Moody pointed a gun at the officers. He said the young man did not appear to be a threat and he was shot and killed while running away.
"It showed this young man doing what I would have done — I would have ran, a pastor, I would have ran because this is the result when police get behind young Black men," he said.
Afzal after the meeting on Wednesday night said he understands this an emotional time and he can't imagine the pain that Moody's death has caused his loved ones and the community.
"I understand the pain," he said. "My job is to wait and see what the criminal investigation shows."
Afzal said he understands the importance of transparency, but he cannot say or do anything that interferes with an active criminal investigation into the shooting. He said every single shooting goes before the grand jury for consideration of criminal charges.
An administrative investigation would follow that looks at whether department policies were followed.
Afzal said the officers will have to explain what they saw and what they did and why they took certain actions. He said body cameras don't show everything that officers see with their eyes.
Members of the Dayton City Commission said this incident is heartbreaking and they understand why the community is frustrated and in pain. But they asked the community for patience as this incident is investigated.
Commissioner Matt Joseph said the community has failed its children. Commissioner Shenise Turner-Sloss said the commission will release all the facts and information to the community when that it becomes available.
This story will be updated.
