'They did all this damage:' Edinburg man mourning brother who was fatally shot in officer-involved shooting
One man is speaking out after his brother died on Tuesday following an officer-involved shooting.
The standoff with police started at the 2800 block of El Paso Street when officers with the Edinburg Police Department responded to a report of a man threatening a neighbor and waving a firearm.
The man was identified as 59-year-old Felipe Zuniga.
“They messed up our little house and killed my brother,” Felipe Zuniga’s brother — Alvaro Zuniga — said.
Alvaro let Channel 5 News cameras inside the home where police say Felipe barricaded himself in after police arrived.
Police said Felipe pointed a weapon at them.
“My brother always had a BB gun,” Alvaro said.
During a Thursday news conference, Edinburg Police Chief Jaime Ayala confirmed that the weapon Felipe had was a BB gun.
READ MORE: Gunman killed in officer-involved shooting had a BB gun, Edinburg police chief says
“Any reasonable person would look at this and feel and believe that it is a firearm,” Ayala said.
Police say after Felipe pointed the BB gun at officers, they fired their weapons.
Felipe then ran into the home and barricaded himself inside.
“From what I see inside, it's terrible,” Alvaro said. “They did all this damage.”
Police used an armored vehicle to get inside the home. That’s when Felipe pointed his BB gun at a SWAT officer with the Edinburg Police Department SWAT unit, Ayala said.
Felipe was shot at and taken to a hospital where he died.
At Thursday’s news conference, Ayala highlighted the dangers of “replica” weapons.
“If you google and take a look at how many police involve shootings occur because replica weapons are being utilized by suspects, it is a grave concern,” Ayala said.
The SWAT officer who shot Zuniga is on paid leave. The shooting is being investigated by the Edinburg Police Department and the Texas Rangers.
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