Family of Hudson Brooks gets more details on 2015 police shooting
Brooks' shooting by police last year is the subject of an ongoing IIO investigation
New details are coming to light about the 20-year-old man who was shot and killed by police outside the south Surrey RCMP detachment more than a year ago.
A member of the Independent Investigations Office visited the family of Hudson Brooks on Wednesday to provide them with more information about the case.
Brooks's mother, Jennifer, says the IIO told her that her son appeared to be in distress in the early morning hours of July 18, 2015.
She says she was told Brooks was walking in the middle of 152nd Street near 18th Avenue wearing only a pair of shorts and flip flops.
"I guess he was causing a bit of a ruckus, so they called the police," Jennifer Brooks said.
"The police officer called for backup. Backup came. Hudson started pounding on the second police car, pounding on the window and asking for help."
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Brooks says she was told by the IIO that more police officers came outside the detachment and Hudson ran toward them.
That's when he was shot, she says the IIO told her.
Somehow, a police officer was also shot. The IIO wouldn't provide the family any details about how or why that happened.
"We want to know how this other police officer was shot," said Hudson's brother, Beau.
"Also, we want to know how many times Hudson was shot. He didn't deserve what happened to him."
Reports completed
The main reason the investigation has taken so long is the IIO has been waiting for a key ballistics report to be completed.
That report has now been received and the IIO says its investigation is progressing, but it still can't release much information about the case.
"Our protocol is that we will often provide more information to the families than we would to the public because, of course, they are a major stakeholder," said Marten Youssef, acting director of public engagement and policy.
The Brooks family has started a movement it calls Justice for Hudson, which has drawn hundreds of people to its rallies in south Surrey.
Jennifer Brooks says she is planning another rally for September.
