LIBERTY HILL, Texas - Family members of a 21-year-old who was shot and killed by a Liberty Hill police officer want answers. They said they’ve been left in the dark and want to know what happened more than a week ago.
"They want to know what happened to their son, they want to know why this happened to their son, they want to know what happened at the scene, they want to know why it took more than 7 hours to be notified after the police officer killed their son, they want to know where their son’s cell phone is because it’s nowhere to be found," the family’s lawyer, Robert Ranco, said.
On January 18, 21-year-old Jackson Thomas Lieber of Georgetown drove off the road and crashed into the front yard of a private home in Liberty Hill.
"And the subject wandered onto that property," Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Deon Cockrell said.
Officials said a fight broke out involving several family members. Liberty Hill police responded, were told Lieber was trespassing and refusing to leave the property, and an officer shot Lieber. He died at a nearby hospital. The family’s lawyer said that’s all the family knows at this point.
"The people who did the act are the only ones who have access to the investigation, the only ones who have access to the information and in this case, even more than most, they are completely unwilling to share any of it," Ranco said.
The Texas Rangers are investigating and Ranco said they’ve been told they may not see pictures or videos of the incident for months.
"That is unacceptable,’ Ranco said. ‘It’s about courtesy, it’s about transparency, it’s about protecting and serving which clearly someone forgot to do for Jackson Lieber."
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Ranco said Lieber was valedictorian of his high school, received a full ride to the University of Texas, was musically gifted, and seemed to be loved by many.
"He wasn’t maybe the most extroverted person, but he had a tremendous sense of humor, he was the glue that kind of kept the friend group together," Ranco said.
Ranco said at this point the family doesn’t plan on filing a lawsuit, they just want answers.
Family members wrote in a statement, "The family is utterly devastated by his passing yet overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support it has received from countless friends and family around the world."