WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.-- Family members of a man shot by a Palm Beach County sheriff's deputy are calling for transparency.
The parents of 19-year-old Henry Bennett III and their attorney spoke Friday morning outside of the office of the Palm Beach County State Attorney.
They say since Bennett III was shot by a deputy in January in Belle Glade they have not seen any photographs, video evidence or any witness statements of what happened.
On the day of the shooting Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said deputy Andrew Cano tried to pull over Bennett for a traffic stop.
"As soon as [the deputy] put on the blue lights, the car eased into a driveway area, the door came open and an individual came out of the vehicle with what appeared to be a firearm," the Sheriff said at the time.
Bennett died at the scene.
Bennett's family says they talked to witnesses who say they never saw a gun in Bennett's hand.
The sheriff’s office said it recovered a gun at the scene.
His mother said she just wants some answers.
“In my field, when you uses excessive force we go to jail. We go to jail we’re prosecuted and we go to jail when we use excessive force, but on the other hand it seems like with the Palm Beach (County) Sheriff’s Department they can do the opposite and still walk and have their jobs,” said Bennett’s mother Felicia Mitchell.
Deputy Cano was placed on paid administrative leave after the shooting. He returned to work less than two weeks later.
Bennett's parents are asking to have a meeting with Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg.
The sheriff's office and the Palm Beach County State Attorney say they are not commenting on statements made by the Bennett family because the case is still under investigation.
