Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Police Accountability topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Family members urge Gastonia council to release unedited footage in Jan. 10 police shooting
Summary
Family members of a man killed Jan. 10 addressed the council during public comment, alleging evidentiary gaps and accusing local authorities of withholding unedited surveillance and body-worn camera footage; they urged transparency and further investigation.
During the public-comment period on May 19, several family members and supporters urged Gastonia's City Council to demand full transparency in the Jan. 10 police-involved shooting that left their relative dead.
Lee Henderson, introduced to the meeting by the mayor, said the county district attorney, Travis Page, declared the shooting "justified" on May 7 with no charges filed. Henderson questioned why that decision was reached before a final autopsy was complete and asked why surveillance and body-worn camera footage, witness statements and certain investigative evidence did not appear in the public record. "Release the unedited videos," Henderson said, adding that discrepancies in reported times and the handling of evidence left the family more questions than answers.
Olivia Henderson, who also addressed council, described the family's grief and said the officers involved had returned to duty while the family remains without closure. "What we are seeing in Gastonia is a failure of basic principles, accountability, communication, human decency, and honesty," she said. She named several people involved in the case during her remarks and called for continued public pressure "until the truth is revealed."
Council did not take action during public comment; no city official responded with new investigative details in the meeting record. The district attorney's office and the police department were referenced in the speakers'remarks but did not present new information at the council meeting.
The family's speakers raised several specific requests: release of unedited body-worn camera footage, release of any surveillance video showing the events outside the store, and clarity on the sequence of events and the handling of witness statements. They also expressed concern about the timing of officer interviews and alleged missing or altered video shown informally on social media.
Next steps: The council did not vote or direct staff on litigation or investigatory steps in public session. The family said they will continue to seek public answers and pursue justice through available legal and advocacy channels.
Note on names and spellings: the speakers used multiple spellings of the deceased's surname during testimony; this article uses the spelling the family offered at the start of public comment.
