SAN ANTONIO —
For the first time since Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales said he had no plans to re-open the cases of three black men who were killed by police, their families Civil Rights Attorney tells us their side.
“Officers are responsible for every single bullet that leaves there gun. For him to make a statement that he’s not going to re-open this case without looking at the additional information and additional evidence that’s available. We now see why people in San Antonio, why people throughout the state of Texas and this entire country are upset,” the families' Civil Rights Attorney Daryl Washington said.
Washington represents the families of Marquise Jones, Charles Roundtree, and Antronie Scott.
KENS 5 talked to District Attorney Gonzales on Tuesday and he said this decision was made because there has been no new evidence or information to come up since it was investigated.
“You can’t do it because people are angry, you have to do it based on whether or not the fact supports that somebody broke the law,” Gonzales said.
Washington tells KENS 5 something different.
“That is not the truth, I can tell you what the DA is telling you is not accurate. There is ample additional evidence that was discovered that should help this DA present this case to the grand jury once again,” Washington said.
He says there were flaws in each of the investigations.
In the case of Marquise Jones, who was shot in the back by an off-duty police officer in 2014, Washington says there is a new witness who he says was harassed by police into not speaking.
He now wants to be heard by the grand jury.
Washington also says he has a report that shows the gun found on scene did not have Jones’ fingerprints on them.
The families say any decision made about re-opening these cases, without reviewing new information first is unacceptable.
“It goes against every single promise that he made to the citizens of Bexar County when he was running for this office, and what the families are asking is that he upholds justice,” Washington said.