POSTED: Thursday, December 30, 2010
UPDATED: 6:05 pm CST December 30, 2010

HOUSTON -- A Houston police officer shot and killed a man in Northeast Houston on Wednesday, and the man's family said they think the officer's account of what happened is fishy.

David Dwayne Butler

WATCH IT: Family Of Man Killed By Officer Has Questions
Houston police said two patrol officers stopped David Dwayne Butler, 26, riding a bike behind the Houston Food Bank along Jensen Drive near Cavalcade Street at about 7:30 p.m.

Butler was riding on the wrong side of the road without a headlamp, police said.

Investigators said that Butler put his hands in his pockets while the officers questioned him. The officers told him to not reach into his pockets, but he ignored the commands, police said.

Detectives said Butler quickly reached into his right front pants pocket to pull out a revolver. The officers tried to keep Butler's hand in his pocket, but he manager to pull out the gun, investigators said.

The officers told Butler to drop the gun, but he refused, police said. Butler turned the gun toward one of the officers, detectives said.

"In the midst of the struggle, the suspect pulls out the gun," HPD spokesman Victor Senties said. "Believing they're both about to be shot, the officer discharges his duty weapon."

Butler was taken to Ben Taub Hospital, where he died.

Police said the officer who fired is Officer C.D. Edwards. He has been on the force since September 2007. As is customary in officer-involved shootings, Edwards has been placed on paid administrative leave.

"This does not pass the smell test, community activist Quanell X said. "Something is very suspicious about this shooting."

Police said Butler had been in trouble with the law in the past for crimes ranging from robbery to drug possession.

Quanell X said Butler's family questions what the police said happened.

"They all say he's no saint," he said. "This is no choir boy, but everybody who describes this kid says he's not a violent man, and not the type to point a gun at an officer."

Quanell X said information from the funeral home has raised the family's suspicions.

"This young man was possibly shot in the back of the head," he said. "That seems very suspicious to me because the officer's version of the story of what took place last night contradicts someone being shot in the back of the head."
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