Tangipahoa Parish, La. -
The family of a teenager shot and killed by a deputy at a club in Tangipahoa says he was not armed, and was just trying to help a friend.
It happened around 2:30 Saturday morning. 18-year-old Cjavar Galmon was at "Club 81" off Hwy. 51, when state police say a deputy responded to a fight at the club.
"It's so hard. They could have sprayed him, mace him or do something besides shoot," said Galmon's mother, Willene Briggs.
The family of Cjavar Galmon questions whether his shooting death by a Tangipahoa deputy was justified.
"I just had got off work and somebody had called, and I jumped and answered the phone and she said, 'DJ had been shot,' and I just dropped the phone," said Briggs.
Briggs says Friday night was the last time she saw her son. She says she went to the popular night club that night to give him money. Neighbors say it's been a problem spot for quite some time.
"I said I love you, he said 'I love you too mom,' and we hugged each other and I went on, and that's the last time I saw my baby," said Briggs.
"After the doubt, was the questions, what happened, and after the questions, there was anger. What was said to have lead to what allegedly happened," said Carlton Galmon, a minister at St. James AME Church in Hammond and the victim's brother.
"First it was surreal... are you referring to the person that I know as DJ, or is this someone else you're talking about?" said Galmon.
"I'm hearing more that he reached down to help this child, help him up, and that's when he turned around, with his hands up, and they got him," said Briggs.
State police have been called in as a third-party investigator in the shooting death, a standard procedure in officer-involved shootings.
"Our detectives are still looking into it, they are conducting an autopsy today. The coroner's office is conducting an autopsy while our detectives are interviewing our witnesses, interviewing the other deputies that were there," said State Trooper Nick Manale.
According to state police, there were already two other off-duty deputies working a security detail at Club 81 on the night of the shooting. A fight began outside the club, and they called for back-up. The officer involved in the shooting was the deputy who arrived on the scene.
"I want justice, I want that done, because they didn't have to shoot him like that. His hand were up, surrendered -- I surrender," said Briggs.
"And I seen him, I walked over there, and I looked up at him and his hands were still up. His hands were still up," said the victim's sister, Kim Brumfield.
The deputy involved is on administrative leave until the investigation is completed. The deputy's name has not been released.
The results of Galmons' autopsy are expected to be turned over to state police and included in their investigation.
Family photo of Cjavar Galmon
