TEMPLE, Texas — Editor's note: The attached video is from a Dec. 11 story.
The death of 28-year-old Michael Dean of Temple is starting to gain national attention.
Dean was shot and killed by a Temple police officer Carmen DeCruz on Dec. 2.
With few details available from the Temple Police Department, his family and the community are left wondering why he was shot in first place.
In 2016, Bryant Ward held a peace rally in downtown Temple in response to officer-involved shootings in other cities.
Back then, he didn't realize Temple would eventually be in its own such situation.
"That could have been anybody. It could have been anybody's son or anybody's brother in that situation,” Ward said.
From the Washington Post to the New York Times, people across the nation are beginning to chime in on Dean's death.
"We're not just basing this off a race,” Ward said. "This is a character thing. This is a character judgement to where something happened, and something transpired. We want to make sure our local law enforcement is equipped and trained to handle situations such as this."
TPD has released very few details about the deadly incident.
Many are asking why TPD never provided Dean's family with real answers other than "the Texas Rangers are investigating."
"It’s so hard for us to believe it’s just in the hands of the Texas Rangers when it is something as important as this,” Temple NAACP president Bennie Walsh said.
Bryant said this is a pivotal and critical moment for America and the Temple community.
"Citizens, city officials, police department... if we can all come together to a table to discuss what transpired and going forward pray that this doesn’t happen again," Ward said.
Dean's family members said they are still waiting to receive his body so they can lay him to rest.
