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Vigil in Belle Glade for teen killed in shooting

Posted at 7:56 PM, Jan 18, 2016
and last updated 2016-01-18 23:48:54-05

A vigil is held for 19-year-old Henry Bennett. He was shot and killed by a Palm Beach Sheriff's Office deputy at a traffic stop on Saturday morning.

Flowers, candles and stuffed animals have been left as a memorial for Bennet on SW 9th St and Avenue D, where the shooting took place. 

The family says they're frustrated because they're getting no answers from detectives as they try to piece together what happened.

Throughout the day, those who knew Bennet stopped by the memorial to pay their respects.

"Henry was a bunch of everything," said Jamisha Mitchell, Henry's aunt. "He was funny, he was cool, he was always wanting to be cool, dress nice." She says he was like a baby brother to her.

Many wrote messages and referred to him by his nickname, Scooter Rat.

"We want justice, that's it because if he was in the wrong then we have to deal with that but if he wasn't, we want justice," said Mitchell.

She says 48 hours after the shooting, Saturday's events still don't seem real.

"It's like a dream, like I"m thinking I'm going to wake up," said Mitchell.

Arrest records show Bennett did have several run-ins with the law, charges including drug possession and battery, and did spend time behind bars.

"He wasn't an angel, he was a typical teenager growing up in an area with nothing to do like these boys get involved in wrong things," explained Mitchell

The shooting has prompted some to ask for a new citizen review board to review incidents like this. But one religious leader in this community says that's not enough. He wants body cameras on every deputy.

"If your deputy had a camera then we could see what the deputy and sheriff is rubber-stamping is true or not," said Nicholas O'Neal, the president of the Palm Beach Clergy Alliance.

The State Attorney's Office is doing its own investigation.