Terrance Kellom (Facebook)
A 20-year-old black Detroit man was fatally shot by a federal agent who was serving a warrant with a team of Detroit police on Monday.
Terrance Kellom was wanted on a robbery warrant. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent was “confronted by the suspect who I was told presented a threat, and the officer used lethal force,” Police Chief James Craig told the Detroit News.
The agent involved in the shooting wasn’t immediately identified. Police said the agent is also black.
Kellom’s family said Terrance was unarmed when he was shot. But Craig said Kellom was armed with a hammer, according to the Detroit News. There was no evidence of a gun being involved.
Kellom’s name has also been spelled as Terrence Kellum in some media reports.
Here’s what you need to know about Kellom and his death:
1. His Family Says He Was Shot 10 Times
Kellom’s family says the agent fired at him 10 times.
“The last thing I heard was: ‘Come out or I’ll shoot.'” his sister, Teria Kellom, told the Detroit News. “They shot him 10 times. They shot him and then they put the handcuffs on him.”
According to CBS Detroit, a woman outside the house after the shooting shouted to police, “It was 10 bullets…and did it take 10 bullets? When he came out, they didn’t have the handcuffs on him! They shot him! He was not able to run to do nothin’. Y’all didn’t give him a chance!”
The agent fired as he was retreating, Craig told the Detroit News.
Kellom’s father, Kevin, told WJBK Fox 2 that his son was “assassinated right in my face.”
“His hands went from open to clutched; he was shaking,” the elder Kellom told the news station. “The last two words my son said was, ‘Daddy, daddy.’ After the first two shots rung out, right after that, as I was rushed towards them in the dining room – bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop. At least – at least! – at least, eight more shots rung out. And I know that for a fact. My son was shot ten times.”
Kevin Kellom asked, “Why not use Tazers? … Why not shoot him in his legs?”
Kellom also denied that Terrance had a hammer.
“There was no hammer,” Kevin says. “No hammer. There was no weapons in my house. Period. I don’t have weapons in my home.”
NEW: father of Terrence Kellom says his son was no angel but didn’t deserve to die at hands of officers. VIDEO: http://t.co/FZ2QOO0GQg
2. He Was Wanted on a Felony Armed Robbery Warrant
Police told the Detroit News that the Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team was serving a warrant at about 1 p.m. at the house in the 9500 block of Evergreen when the shooting occurred. They were allowed into the house and didn’t force entry, police said. Kellom was wanted on a warrant for the armed robbery of a pizza deliveryman and felony possession of a firearm.
State prison records show Kellom had absconded from probation in August stemming from a 2013 conviction for carrying a concealed weapon, according to the Detroit News, which reported that the file lists Kellom as 5-foot-10 and 145 pounds.
Teria Kellom told the newspaper her father first told the officers her brother wasn’t there, and she asked to see the search warrant. The officers told Kellom’s father that they would show him the warrant when family members left the home. The police then entered to search for his brother. A few moments later, the family heard the shots.
Police Chief James Craig told the Detroit News that Kellom’s father was also wanted on a warrant, but they decided not to arrest him because of the circumstances.
“His father, who was at the scene, was also wanted for a nonviolent felony … a fraud case,” Craig said. “We can always pick him up later; we decided to let him properly grieve for his son.”
3. The Shooting Is Being Investigated & Few Details Have Been Released
Detroit Police Chief James Craig (Getty)
Craig told CBS Detroit that he hopes the investigation won’t take too long:
We’re gonna interview all the witnesses. I can’t say what happened inside that home. Let us do our job. We’ll do it as quick as we can. I don’t want this to be a two, three-month (investigation). And at the appropriate time we’ll turn our investigation over to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office who will make a decision on whether a crime was committed…That is not my decision.
A spokesman for ICE, said in a statement, “Any time an ICE officer or special agent discharges their firearm in the line of duty, the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility reviews the matter. Due to this ongoing review, no further details will be released at this time.”
The agent was not identified, but is an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officer, according to the agency.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan said she is “closely monitoring” the shooting.
“Yesterday’s shooting was a tragedy, and we offer our deep condolences to the family,” U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said in a statement. “Police work sometimes requires use of deadly force, but officers may use only as much force as is reasonable under the circumstances. In a situation like this, it is important to protect the rights of both the deceased and the officer. Therefore, we are closely monitoring the investigation.”
4. The Police Chief Went to the Scene to Calm Family Members & Other Community Members
19-yr old Terrence Kellum wanted on armed robbery charges, shot to death by ICE agent. Why family demands answers? http://t.co/KYv4XsTYXc
Craig told the Detroit News that he was called to the scene because family members and others were upset about the shooting. “They were very excited,” Craig said.
He met publicly with the family as television cameras recorded the meeting, according to the newspaper.
“It’s tragic. Any time a parent loses their child, it’s a tragedy. I’m committed that the investigation will be thorough, and I will have a conversation with the prosecutor’s office,” Craig said.
5. Local Activists Say a Fugitive Apprehension Isn’t a License to Kill
Ron Scott, a local activist, told the Detroit News that fugitive apprehension does not give police a license to kill.
Scott’s organization, the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality, said in a statement:
In light of national incidents, we find this latest shooting appalling, distressing, and despicable that another young black man has to be killed in his house in front of his family with multiple gunshot. The coalition is working with the family, and they will release a statement soon regarding this matter. We demand, and we will obtain, justice in this case.
A protest is planned for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.