'We want justice': Shooting victim's family speaks as officer involved is put on leave

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Fayetteville Police Department held a press conference Friday addressing the fatal officer-involved shooting on Murchison Road that happened on Thanksgiving.

DeMarcus Brodie was killed after being pulled over for a traffic stop; the department says the officer involved has been put on administrative leave.

Brodie's family tells ABC11 they want know why was he stopped in the first place. However, Police Chief Kem Braden says the department can't answer that question until more comes out of the SBI investigation.

Brodie's uncle, Ronnie McSwain, says he was the last relative who spoke to him.

"The last thing he said to me was, 'I love the Lord. It's about Jesus--and that right there is all I care about," McSwain said.

"(He) had a great mind of his own. Very talented. Very helpful," said Brodie's aunt, Stephanie McSwain.

Brodie was killed right as his family was about to gather for Thanksgiving dinner. Pulled over by the police around 4:30 pm, Fayetteville police say Brodie resisted arrest and began assaulting officers. Then Officer Dillion Hoke shot Brodie; his family says Brodie was shot in the chest.

"Officers did attempt de-escalation. De-escalation by their hands-on attempts, de-escalation by the use of less lethal in the form of a taser," Chief Braden said.

But Brodie's family says that wasn't enough.

"How it went down, I'm still puzzled," said Anita McSwain, another one of Brodie's aunts. "But that officer had aimed to kill. And I want to say to the police department is that Marcus Brodie belongs to all of us, his family, and we love him dearly. And we want justice."

Chief Braden says there was a second officer at the scene. He says Hoke and the second officer will be interviewed by the SBI before the department can comment further. Braden also says the department will review whether further training needs to be done after assessing the shooting.