On a January evening in 2017, 51-year-old Carlos A. Cruz was shot and killed by a police officer outside the Independence Ridge Apartments in Independence, Missouri, after his mother called 911 saying her son was intoxicated and threatening suicide. Officers surrounded the building and ordered everyone to exit. Cruz came outside holding a shotgun and a bottle of alcohol; his mother later sued saying he set the shotgun on the porch railing, while police reported Cruz pointed the weapon at officers.

An officer fired one shot from an AR-15 rifle that struck Cruz in the chest and killed him. The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office reviewed the shooting and declined to bring criminal charges, finding the use of force justified. Cruz’s mother filed a wrongful death civil suit against the city of Independence, the police chief, and the officer, alleging the situation was a mental health crisis that was treated as a criminal matter and that the shooting was unjustified.

Are there witnesses or neighbors who saw what happened outside the apartments that night who can add details?