Family of Maryland man shot by police in Michigan calls for transparency

Nearly a month after Michigan State University senior and Maryland native Isaiah Kirby was shot and killed by East Lansing police, his family is asking for transparency.

East Lansing police responded to the area of Abbot and Lake Lansing roads on April 15. In a press conference after the shooting, Police Chief Jennifer Brown said that when officers arrived on the scene, they found Kirby, 21, allegedly holding a bloody knife. 

The Owings Mills, Maryland, family alleges that Kirby was not suffering from a mental health crisis when he was approached by police.

Family attorney Teresa Bingman said she viewed an edited police video of the encounter and disputes the department’s report. 

“We did not even see a weapon in the hand of the person who was purported to be Isaiah. The face was blacked out, he was running down the street with his hands up, a telephone in one hand and a cup and some object in another,” Bingman said. 

Bingman said the family is looking for more footage of the scene from bystanders and trying to learn more about what led up to the shooting. As of May 12, Bingman said they haven’t filed a lawsuit against the department. 

“We want justice, whatever that means, criminal, civil, both, we don’t know yet, but as we gather facts, we’ll have a better understanding of the direction in which we can go,” Bingman said. 

The family alleges that Kirby was not suffering from a mental health crisis when he was approached by police. 

“Since that day, all I wanted to know was what was the truth? I didn’t ask for nothing else. I don’t ask for nothing else. I just want to know the truth of what happened behind my baby as to why he is no longer on this earth breathing,” said Kirby’s mother, Karyn Kirby.

“Truth and transparency is all we ask for. Why delay the information if you’re not trying to hide things? Puda, I love you in the morning.”

CBS News Detroit reached out to East Lansing police for comment and is awaiting a response.