TERRYTOWN, La. — The family of the man killed by Jefferson Parish deputies over the weekend is calling on the sheriff’s office to release body cam video of what happened. Monday, family members told Eyewitness News the man killed inside the Brother’s Food Mart is Kevin Veal, 26.
When Veal showed up to the convenience store on Behrman Highway in Terrytown early Saturday morning, Sheriff Joe Lopinto says he had two flat tires and claimed someone was chasing him and trying to kill him.
After an employee called 911, Lopinto says two responding deputies tried to help Veal, but it ended with Veal fighting with the deputies. Lopinto says Veal also had a gun on him which the deputies didn’t know about.
“A pretty prolonged fight occurred at this location where he was able to draw the weapon and pointed at one of our deputies, retreating to another part of the store,” said Lopinto. “Those deputies requested additional assistance. Officers came. The suspect came out of one of the bathrooms in the back on several occasions pointing the gun at deputies and then fired at least one shot.”
Lopinto says a deputy fired back, shooting Veal, who died at the scene.
Having heard the sheriff talk about what happened, Veal’s family questions the circumstances. Through a family spokesperson, the family doesn’t believe Veal posed any real threat to deputies and point to what they call a policing problem. They’re now calling on the sheriff’s office to release the body cam video.
“This continues to be a pattern and practice of a two-policing system,” said family spokesperson Ashonta Wyatt. “There’s a separate way that they police black men in Jefferson Parish and that’s a problem and if Joe Lopinto is saying his officers did right by Kevin that night then let us see the footage. That is all we’re asking for, transparency in policing.”
Veal is one of seven siblings and was set to celebrate his 27th birthday next month.
“He’s loved by this community and any time a child dies is a problem, and yes, I say child because 26 is still very, very young,” said Wyatt. “He had a whole lot of life to live and it’s unfair that his life came to an end under all these uncertainties.”
The family did have a meeting with detectives Monday afternoon.
Store employees say the sheriff’s office got the surveillance video from inside the store as well. The day the shooting happened Sheriff Lopinto said the body cam video would be released.
Eyewitness News reached out to the sheriff’s office Monday and was told there’s no timetable on when that will happen.