DETROIT (WXYZ) — The family of Stephen Mason, 41, continues to demand answers following his death involving a Michigan State Police trooper.
According to investigators, Mason was shot to death during an altercation with the trooper on May 16. Mason is accused of shooting the trooper, who returned fire, fatally wounding him.
Watch the video report below:
7 News Detroit obtained footage from Michigan State Police through a Freedom of Information Act request. In it, police interview a witness who said he saw a tussle between Mason and the trooper.
Leonard Mungo, the attorney for Mason's family, watched it for the first time.
Watch part of the witness video below:
In the video, a state trooper pulled up to the scene and told the witness, "Explain it to me real quick."
The witness said, "He trying to hold him down. You know what I mean? To handcuff him, to get him together and then all of a sudden, I heard pap, pap."
He continued, "And then when I heard a couple of gunshots, I was like, ‘Damn, did the officer kill him? Because he was just too much?’ But then I noticed the officer was still trying to subdue him."
"But he had shot the officer a few times and so, at the end, he ain’t have no choice, man. S***, that officer ain’t have no choice, man. He was fighting for his life,” the witness stated.
Watch our previous coverage when the shooting happened below:
In response to watching the video, Mungo told 7 News Detroit, “He didn’t say anything about the officer shooting him.”
He said the video doesn’t provide Mason family the answers nor the transparency they’re looking for.
The family is calling on state Attorney General Dana Nessel to appoint a special prosecutor to handle the case.
“Why would Dana Nessel authorize the release of a video that does not contain the sequence of events that actually occurred that day,” Mungo asked.
He said Mason’s family wants to see the body-worn camera belonging to the officer who shot him, as well as that officer's dashcam video and a freeway video.
MSP denied part of 7 News Detroit's records request and would not given us all of the video.
“All the family wants to do is to see what happened. If they see a relative that was acting unlawfully, imagine the ability for that family to begin their healing process and bring closure and go forward with their lives," Mungo said.
The attorney said there’s a woman claiming on social media to be a witness and that he’s shared the post with investigators. However, state police told 7 News Detroit they don't know of the mystery woman and that the witness in the video is the only witness who’s come forward.
7 News Detroit reached out to Nessel’s office following the interview. We will post a statement online if and when we hear back.
