Christopher Jordan police shooting: Family calls for answers, release of body cam footage

Family members of a Dunbar man killed by Fort Myers police after a 45-minute standoff this month are calling for transparency, saying the department has left them in the dark.

“We’re just seeking answers and we’re just seeking justice,” Jordan’s niece Ericka Ruth said at a press conference Thursday afternoon. “Justice for me is getting the officer who shot my uncle — getting him arrested, or getting him fired from the force.”

More: Fort Myers police officer on leave after fatal shooting Friday; state investigating

Fort Myers police fatally shot 58-year-old Christopher Jordan on Dec. 1 after he allegedly brandished a gun at officers while barricaded at his Stella Street home. Police were responding to a 911 call from his sister, who said Jordan was threatening her.

The family and the Lee County NAACP had the press conference at Jordan’s home, feet from the room where he was shot and killed. They said they had not heard from Fort Myers police, and called for the release of body camera video and questioned whether officers had done everything they could to de-escalate before opening fire.

“A mental health professional should have been the chief negotiator,” said Lee County NAACP President James Muwakkil. “We don’t believe a mental health professional was ever contacted.”

Jordan was the sole occupant of the house during the confrontation with police, according to the NAACP. That a family member’s 911 call ended in his death could discourage community members from calling the police during domestic disputes, he said.

“This will make us hesitate in calling law enforcement because we don’t want loved ones to be killed,” he said.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting, and the Fort Myers Police Department has declined to release additional information about the case while that investigation is ongoing.

The officer who shot Jordan has not been publicly identified and no body camera footage has been released.

Fort Myers Police Chief Jason Fields was invited to speak at the press conference but had other obligations, Muwakkil said.

The department did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

Police had received a 911 call from a house in the 3200 block of Stella Street regarding a male threatening a disabled female with a firearm.

Officers confirmed an aggravated assault had occurred, police officials said in a news release. An adult male suspect had retreated inside the home with the firearm, police said.

Officers evacuated nearby homes and tried to communicate with Jordan for 45 minutes but he would not surrender, police said. Jordan allegedly approached a window and flashed a gun at officers, who opened fire, fatally injuring him.

Officers provided first aid and Jordan was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to police.

“45 minutes was not nearly long enough,” Muwakkil said.

Andrew Perry, a former neighbor who has lived in Dunbar for 67 years, said he knew Jordan since Jordan was a child.

“He was on drugs, but he wouldn’t do nobody no harm,” Perry said. “I ain’t never known him to have no gun.”

A review of Lee County court records show that Jordan faced a string of drug and burglary charges dating back through the 1990s but revealed no cases involving firearms.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Christopher Jordan police shooting: Family calls for answers, release of body cam footage