TAMPA, Fla. — Community activists are calling for more transparency from the Tampa Police Department as investigators continue looking into the fatal shooting of a well-known DJ.
Dedrick Sykes, known as DJ ShyGuy, was fatally shot on East 5th Avenue and North 22nd Street in Ybor City around 7 p.m. last Friday.
WATCH: Activists demand answers as Tampa Police investigates fatal shooting of beloved DJ
Monday night, some of his friends gathered for a press conference outside Tampa Police headquarters and urged police to release more information about the shooter.
“We won’t sleep, we won’t stop, and we will continue to speak truth to power that we want answers,” said activist Elvis Piggott.
Friends described Sykes as peaceful and positive.
“Never seen him angry. Never heard him raise his voice,” said friend Ashley Gooden.
However, Tampa Police says Sykes was involved in a “roadway dispute” before the Friday shooting. Investigators say a verbal argument escalated before Sykes was shot by a person who has not been publicly identified.
Police say they are withholding the shooter’s name because the individual is claiming self-defense, has not been charged, and releasing the identity could impact the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
“We can confirm the shooter in this incident was not a current on-duty, off-duty, or retired Tampa Police officer, or other local law enforcement officer,” the department said in a social media post Monday.
Piggott and other activists say the lack of transparency makes no sense.
“This is the only time that we are hearing there is an investigation, and do not know who [the Tampa Police Department is] investigating,” Piggott said.
However, this is not unprecedented. In 2022, Tampa Police also withheld the name of a person who claimed self-defense in the killing of a University of Tampa student.
Jeffrey Swartz, a professor at Cooley Law School, explained why police are not releasing the shooter's identity.
"The reasons for not disclosing the name of the shooter, is because one, he has not been charged with anything, and he is entitled to a certain amount of privacy. And they are not going to disclose him as the shooter and place him in danger by giving his name to the general public," Swartz said.
Tampa Police said additional details will be released when they become available.
“Investigators are working diligently to gather all facts and are committed to a thorough and impartial investigation,” the department wrote. “They will continue coordinating with the State Attorney’s Office to determine the appropriate course of action and to determine what charges, if any, may be applicable to this incident.”
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