MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The family of Courtney Ross and others gathered on Friday to protest and demand transparency in his mysterious death after an altercation with officers in Midtown last week.

People are calling for police video to be released after a 19-year-old man taken into police custody later died in a hospital.

“Please, That’s not right. We need answers. I want to see how my son cried out for me,” said Courtney Ross Sr., father of Courtney Ross. “He wasn’t nobody, he was somebody. That was my son, my heart, my everything. I just want answers.”

Courtney Ross Senior is demanding answers about the death of his son, saying that he did not deserve to die.

Ross Sr., along with other family members and protestors shouted through megaphones and held signs asking why Courtney died in a hospital a short time after being in police custody.

“We’re here today demanding, not asking, demanding. There’s a difference. We want to see the body cam footage. We want to see the dash cam footage. We don’t know what happened,” said Casio Montez, a Memphis community activist and family friend of Ross’.  

Ross’ grandmother, Carolyn Laurey was also demanding answers for what happened to her grandson.

“We’re just numb. We don’t have a feeling right now. We don’t know what took place and we need answers. I want to know what happened to my grandson,” said Laurey.

On Aug. 11, Memphis Police said they got a call stating Ross was rummaging through boxes and were also told a man was looking into vehicles and going through mailboxes.

Police say after chasing Ross, he resisted being handcuffed but was eventually taken into custody and placed in the squad car.

“He’s a good kid. He had values. He had morals. He was scared. He ran because he was scared,” said Ross Sr.

Officers claim they noticed Ross appeared to be out of breath and exhausted from running. He was taken to the hospital where he later died.

His family and friends say something doesn’t add up and want transparency from city leaders.

“We’re not going to stop until we see it. CJ Davis, the chief of police, Mayor Strickland, the city mayor, Mr. Mulroy, we want to see that,” said Montez.

The TBI has taken over the investigation into Ross’ death. His family has hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump to represent them.