FORT MYERS, Fla. — A Fort Myers family met with the NAACP and Fort Myers Police Chief Jason Fields Tuesday morning to discuss the arrests of two young men that has gone viral online.
Watch Fort Myers Community Correspondent Miyoshi Price's report:
The video shows an officer tasing E'Zarius Lockwood and holding his gun up to Easter Alexander when conducting what police say was a traffic stop.
"They were not being aggressive towards him, the other young man, Easter, he in the video, you can clearly see that he has his hands up," said LaShaunda Lockwood, the mother of E'Zarius Lockwood.
The young men say they were afraid to move while the officer had his firearm out, fearing they would be shot if they weren't out in the open.
Chief Fields said there are three parts to the investigation currently underway.
"You've got the criminal portion of the arrest reports, which I believe you should have access to. We also have a use of force review. Anytime we use force, we do a full review to ensure that we adhere to policy," said Fields.
The third review involves the internal affairs complaints that the families filed on Monday.
"He didn't have to jump out of his truck, not just out of his truck, and pull no gun on him. What was that for?" said Zelda Williams, the grandmother of Easter Alexander.
Police Chief Jason Fields emphasized the importance of following police commands during encounters.
"If they told you that they heard the officer give them a command, they should be following commands. When someone is given a lawful order by a police officer, they should be following those commands," said Fields.
Both young men are charged with battery of a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest.
"It could've turned deadly. I believe he would have shot my son if we didn't have as many witnesses as we did," said LaShauda Lockwood.
James Muwakkil, NAACP Lee County Branch President, also attended the meeting with Chief Fields.
"Six to eight people outside of himself will be looking at the investigation, looking at the video and determining whether or not any breaking of the law occurred of the officer," said Muwakkil.
Lockwood says her son had a clean record until Friday's interaction with police.
"My son has a two year old son that he also needs to be out here and be here for," said LaShaunda Lockwood.
The families hope to get the charges dropped, while Chief Fields is asking for patience during the investigation.
"Reach out, because we want to conduct a thorough and thorough investigation on this," said Fields.
See Previous Coverage Of This Story and Hear From The Teens:
E'zarius Lockwood, 19, and Easter Alexander, 18, said they had no idea they were being stopped or why when the incident occurred last Friday near Henderson Avenue and Lincoln Boulevard.
"I feared for my life so I wasn't even trying to move," Alexander said.
The young men claim the encounter began when they honked their horn at an officer who they said was blocking access to a lot where neighborhood teenagers gather.
According to the men, they exited their vehicle at some point during the stop. In a video provided by the family, an officer can be heard yelling for them to get back inside the car before the situation quickly escalates.
The footage shows the officer drawing his taser and using it on Lockwood.
"What if he mistakenly, instead of using his taser, he had his gun out and mistakenly shot me," Lockwood said.
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