BRYAN, TEXAS — The Bryan College Station group of Black Lives Matter is doing their part down south by spreading awareness of mental health calls while seeking justice for Bryan native Patrick Warren Senior.
Warren Sr. was killed in an officer-involved shooting in Killeen after a mental health call on Jan. 10.
Organizers of the peaceful protest and prayer Saturday said they chose the corner of 29th and Texas Ave because of its location and high traffic volume. Even though Patrick Warren Sr. did not lose his life in his hometown of Bryan, residents here say they are still seeking justice.
Strangers, friends and family of Patrick Warren Sr were calling for change Saturday in between Bryan City Hall and the Bryan Justice Center.
"I just hope we can stop the killing, man. Black lives matter. Our lives matter. My brother's life mattered. Our lives matter," Earnest Warren, Patrick Warren Sr's brother, said.
Heartbroken by the officer-involved-shooting of their brother, these siblings simply hope it never happens again.
"Trying to bring awareness to mental health and just anything we can do to bring awareness. We just don't want this to happen to nobody else," Warren Senior's sister, Phyllis, said.
The family recalls the shooting that played out almost 2 weeks ago from their mother's point-of-view.
"My mom.. my mom is traumatized. She was in the house when it happened as well. To hear her son get shot out in front of her. There was nothing she could do. They were told to stay in the house, stay in the house, they have an officer right there at the door. Nobody could go outside, not even his wife, not my mom, not his son, nobody. It's heartbreaking," Thompson added.
The family called 9-1-1 for help January 10th, the day Warren Sr. would ultimately lose his life.
That day, Warren Sr. was suffering from a mental health related incident. Family said they hope when future calls requesting psychiatric assistance come in, counselors meet the people who need the help first.
"Going forward there should be at least one mental health and one police officer, if needed, so this doesn't happen to anyone. Especially when that person needs just someone to talk to and ends up murdered on the front lawn."
Co-founders of Bryan College Station's Black Lives Matter group knew family of Warren Senior and organized the protest and prayer to inform the community of recent events.
"Especially with mental health and the police department. We need the police departments to make sure they have a task team to deal with mental health patients, so we wont have another situation like this. For people who don't know what is going on by them passing by and seeing us out here it can spread light on the situation," Ebony Peterson, co-founder of the BCS BLM group said.
According to the GoFundMe page created by the family, Patrick Warren Sr was the sole provider for the family. They are currently over halfway to their goal of $100,000, saying the funds will be for legal and funeral costs.
Killeen Police released the full body cam footage of the officer-involved shooting this week.
The Texas Rangers are spearheading the investigation into the shooting, while Killeen PD is conducting a separate Internal Affairs investigation.