FORT WORTH — More than 100 people gathered Tuesday night at an emotional vigil for Charal Thomas, who was shot dead by a Fort Worth police officer 24 hours earlier.
The 32-year-old man was killed in front of three of his children.
It was a passionate crowd that materialized at a gas station in the 6200 block of East Rosedale Street; the place where police say they attempted to arrest Thomas on outstanding warrants.
Police said Thomas refused to be arrested and drove away in a sport utility vehicle with the three youngsters in the back seat, dragging a police officer as he fled.
Police said the officer fired in self-defense when Thomas refused to stop.
The passion at the vigil quickly turned to anger as family members poured out their hearts.
"I know him; I know his heart; he would never do that with his kids in the car. Never. Ever," said a tearful Keisha Eldridge, Thomas' cousin.
Some held candles; other wore tributes to Thomas, who was out celebrating his daughter's eighth birthday.
"We're the ones who've got to rock these babies at night when they have nightmares," said Alicia White, one of three mothers of Thomas' children who appeared at the vigil.
"They didn't have to kill my daddy like that," said 11-year-old Deslord Thomas. "They didn't have to shoot my daddy in the head, and shot him in the shoulder. They didn't have to kill him in front of us."
Deslord's eight-year-old brother was by her side. "I miss my daddy," he said.
Lance Wyatt, an attorney for the unnamed officer who fired on Thomas, said his client had no choice but to take action as he was being dragged.
"If he gets thrown from that vehicle when that individual is swerving the car back-and-forth, he's probably going to end up under the wheels of that car... that SUV... likely be seriously injured or killed," Wyatt said.
The attorney said his client was cautious in firing his service weapon because he was aware of the children in the backseat of Thomas' SUV.
As emotions escalated at the vigil Tuesday night, police returned to the scene to clear traffic and break up crowds of people still searching for answers.
"What if one of those bullets hit these babies?" Alicia White asked. "Then what?"
One reason Fort Worth police have declined to release the name of the officer involved in Monday's shooting is because his personal safety may be in jeopardy. His attorney said friends or family members of the suspect allegedly made threats against the officer at the hospital on Monday night.
E-mail ccivale@wfaa.com
