After a man was shot and killed by police in his apartment in Suitland, Maryland, last month, his family members addressed the public for the first time.
Melvin Jay died after he was shot by a Prince George’s County officer on Feb. 1. He was 31.
Jay was killed “in the very place he should have felt safe: his home,” his cousin Leonard Lee said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon. He was joined by more than a dozen family members, with some crying as he spoke.
“We demand justice for Melvin,” Lee said. […] No family should have to endure such heartbreak, such injustice.”
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On behalf of Jay’s family, Lee demanded an investigation into the killing and asked for support and prayers from the community.
Jay was the father of a 12-year-old and was expecting his second child, attorney Andrew Clarke said. He was a “family-oriented man,” a devoted father and “such a beautiful soul,” his cousin Malcolm Jay said.
Prince George’s County Council Member Krystal Oriadha said her heart aches for Jay’s family.
“They need justice, they need answers and they need accountability,” she said.
The group Harriet’s Wildest Dreams called the killing a “senseless act of violence" and also called for answers.
The family plans to file a civil lawsuit, Clarke, the lawyer, said.
Here's what the body camera video shows
Police body camera footage of the shooting was released Monday, as News4 reported.
Prince George’s Officer Braxton Shelton responded to a breaking-and-entering call at Windham Creek Apartments, police said. He went into an apartment alone and shot Jay in the kitchen.
The body-camera video starts with Shelton parking and walking toward the unit where an alleged break-in took place. He entered without identifying himself and shouted commands including “show me your hands” before firing. About 35 seconds pass between the time Shelton got out of his cruiser and the shot was fired.
After the shot, Shelton addresses another man in the apartment, asking him if he lived there and what he was doing there. The man said it was his cousin’s house and Jay was his brother.
More officers arrived and searched the home and provided aid to Jay, but he died at the scene.
Officers found a gun in Jay’s pocket and another near the kitchen sink, police said. It’s unclear from the video if Jay had anything in his hands, and police haven’t said who the guns belonged to.
In the 911 call officers responded to, the caller said a neighbor told him someone was breaking into his apartment. The caller did not say Jay might be inside.
The caller, Jay and the person who allegedly broke into the apartment are related, police said.
Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz released a video response to the shooting recorded by the department, but News4 was unable to ask him any questions.
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Shelton is on administrative leave while the Maryland Office of the Attorney General investigates the shooting. Shelton has four years of law enforcement experience, according to the attorney general.
The complete body-camera video released by police can be viewed here. It is graphic and some may find it disturbing.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
