BRADENTON, Fla. — The family of a man shot and killed by Bradenton police gathered outside City Hall Tuesday afternoon to demand answers and transparency about his death.
Damari Bell told Tampa Bay 28's Barrett Tryon her father, Tyrone Bell, was shot and killed by police on the morning of March 10.
WATCH: Family demands answers after deadly Bradenton police shooting
"My dad was not a high-risk person. He hadn't been in trouble in years. That's important for people to understand," Damari Bell said.
Bradenton police said they were serving a high-risk search warrant at the home as part of an ongoing investigation. According to police, the warrant was considered high risk because a person inside was a convicted felon and had a firearm.
When the SWAT team went to enter the home and announced who they were, two people came out. A third person, who turned out to be Tyrone Bell, remained inside in a locked room.
Police said SWAT officers saw Bell, 56, standing next to a bed with a gun. When he did not comply with multiple orders to drop the weapon, police fired their guns. Bell was pronounced dead at the scene.
"A loving father and grandfather. He loved being around us, especially his grandkids. That's what mattered most to him, his family," Damari Bell said.
"He was not supposed to die like this. We are not supposed to be mourning him in this way. There are so many questions that don't make ... There are so many questions that don't make sense to us," Damari Bell said.
Shootings involving police are rare in Bradenton; it has been about four years since a similar incident. The investigation has been turned over to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
"Transparency is not optional. It is the foundation of public trust. And right now, that trust is fractured," Manatee County NAACP Director Tracey Washington said.
Police said they will release body camera footage and additional details, including a timeline, once the state investigation is complete.
In a statement to Tampa Bay 28, police said, "The Bradenton Police Department has been, and remains, in contact with NAACP Manatee Chapter President Tracey Washington, as well as other community members who have contacted BPD. We appreciate the partnership BPD has with the NAACP and organizations in the City of Bradenton."
The department reiterated all information related to the case would be "released when appropriate."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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