Leonard Parker Jr., a 53-year-old Black U.S. Army veteran and father of six from Covington, Georgia, was shot and killed in Gulfport, Mississippi, on February 1, 2020. Officer Jason Cuevas of the Gulfport Police Department fired three rounds from his 9mm Glock during a response to a 911 call about a domestic disturbance as Parker was leaving a house party; one bullet struck Parker in the head.

Accounts differ sharply about what happened in the moments before the shooting. Officer Cuevas said Parker’s pickup accelerated toward him, prompting him to shoot. Multiple witnesses told investigators the truck was moving very slowly and had stopped before the officer discharged his weapon, and a passenger who was in the truck was not called to testify before the grand jury. The officer’s body camera was not on at the time.

A Harrison County grand jury declined to indict Cuevas, finding no evidence of criminal conduct. Parker’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city and the officers involved, alleging excessive force and claiming Cuevas did not identify himself, used no lights or sirens, and that Parker was not trying to flee or harm the officer.

Did anyone witness Leonard Parker Jr. that night or have information about the vehicle’s movements just before the shooting?