MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The family of a man shot and killed by a Shelby County Sheriff’s deputy says they still don’t know why he was killed or why deputies were after him in the first place.
Investigators said a Shelby County Sheriff’s deputy shot and killed 26-year-old Antonio Jackson after he hit the deputy with his car. Since the incident occurred on August 16, there have been a lot of questions surrounding the lack of video evidence in the case.
“It’s been hell. I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. Every time I close my eyes, I see my baby,” said Antonio Jackson’s mother.
On Friday, his family gathered outside of 201 Poplar demanding answers. Jackson’s family says they’ve received conflicting reports about what happened Monday. Days later, the family said deputies were not talking so they came to them.
“They killed my baby. I’ll never touch him again. I’ll never hold him again.” Jackson’s mother said. “I can’t give him a proper burial because they don’t tell me anything. I just need to know why.”
Deputies say Jackson was shot and killed Monday at the Robinhood Park Apartments. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says he was shot after he hit a deputy with a car.
After initially saying there was video of the shooting, the sheriff’s office backtracked and said there was no video available.
The Jackson family is left with more questions about what happened than answers.
“My baby was blocked in. He was in his vehicle. I’ve talked to so many people, and they said my baby did not hit this officer,” Jackson’s mother said.
As they wait for answers, the family grieves for Jackson, a man who was a father of two with another child on the way.
“My babies are suffering from this [expletive]. My little girls are crying at night. They can’t fix that [expletive] for me,” Denise Richard, a family member said.
They said they will never forget the loss.
“He was a human. He was a father. He was a son. He meant something to somebody,” Richard said.
As this investigation continues, the family hopes this community won’t forget either.
WREG investigators have reached out to the TBI for an update but were told this is an active and ongoing investigation.