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Fort Pierce police chief to provide update on department

Posted at 4:37 AM, Nov 21, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-21 12:14:27-05

Fort Pierce's police chief is set to review her department in front of city commissioners Monday.

One of the topics that may come up is the internal investigation into the shooting death of Demarcus Semer.

Monday morning though a police spokesperson said the report will be less about Semer and more about the overall state of the department. Ed Cunningham said because the investigation remains active and is not complete, details would be bare.

Fort Pierce police launched an internal investigation in September after a grand jury found no wrong-doing in the shooting death of Semer.

Once complete, the findings should tell police if Officer Ralph Keith Holmes and Sgt. Brian MacNaught violated department policies during the shooting.

Commissioner may ask about the investigation Monday, but again, according to police the report will mainly focus on talks about staffing and the need for additional equipment like body cameras.

EARLIER STORY

Fort Pierce's police chief is expected to update the city commission Monday on the department's investigation into an officer-involved shooting earlier this year.

Demarcus Semer, 21, was fatally shot while fleeing a traffic stop back in April. A grand jury did not indict both officers involved in the incident.

The department is investigating whether the two officers violated any police procedures or policies. 

Semer's family hopes something comes out of this.

Elijah Smith says his grandson is constantly on his mind.

"Everyday I think about what he could have been," says Smith.

In September, a grand jury determined the two officers were justified in their actions.

"They violated his civil rights," says Smith.

While Elijad is still disappointed he didn't get the answers he wanted in September, he's still hopeful something will come out of the department's investigation.

"Hope that this will come out in our favor," said Elijad.