The uncle of Roy Lee Richards, the 46-year-old man fatally shot by Little Rock police Oct. 25, says he was inside his house when his nephew was killed.
In a video produced by Black Lives Matter of Little Rock and sent to Arkansas Online, Darrell Underwood says Richards came over to his home drunk and they started fighting, causing Underwood to ask his nephew to leave his property.
Underwood’s first name appears as “Darrell” in the video. Police have reported his name as “Derrell.”
When Richards did not leave, Underwood called 911 and requested police come to his home in the 500 block of East Eighth street, saying, “Now don’t hurt him. I just want him out of my yard and away from my house,” according to his 25-second 911 call.
Underwood says he put Richards on the ground, held him down and told him, “Roy, man, when I let you up, I want you to go home.”
Neighbor Henry Michael Stotts noticed the two men struggling outside and watched as two officers walked from the intersection of Eighth and Commerce Streets where a police car was parked, he says in the video.
[OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING: Find all updates about fatal Little Rock police shooting here]
Stotts says he told Underwood and Richards "the cops are here, please stop," according to the video.
Underwood says he then let Richards up and turned to go back inside, at which point his nephew grabbed a gun.
Police have described the weapon as a “long gun,” the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette previously reported. Two central Arkansas gun store employees said the weapon appears to be a pellet or BB gun.
When Underwood saw the weapon, he says he asked his nephew, "What are you going to do with that beside make me mad?" and walked up his steps, across his porch and into his house, locking the door behind him.
Underwood then says he woke up a resident of the house, nicknamed K.J., and told him Richards was outside “acting crazy.” He says the two of them were standing in a hallway inside the house when he heard shots ring out.
“When Roy got shot, I was in the house,” Underwood said. “I didn't hear the police say anything."
Little Rock police have said that Richards was chasing a man later identified as Underwood while “pointing a long gun at his back.” It was then that officer Dennis Hutchins fired multiple shots, striking and killing Richards, a news release from police stated.
Hutchins said he fired because he believed Richards was going to shoot Underwood in the back, police said.
When asked about Underwood’s claim, spokesman Lt. Steve McClanahan said that on the advice of the prosecuting attorney, the department could not disclose more information at this time as the investigation is open.
Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley previously told the Democrat-Gazette that it is his job to protect the integrity of the investigation by not releasing important details that could taint witness accounts.
McClanahan also said that police have 21 days from the shooting to finish their file and pass it along to Jegley’s office, at which point the office will review it in detail. He added that the file would be available to the media once the investigation has been concluded.
In a news release, Black Lives Matter of Little Rock said it is continuing to ask people to email Police Chief Kenton Buckner, the city board and the mayor and request an independent investigation of the shooting.