BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – The families of two teens killed in a deputy-involved shooting in Brevard County have secured a notable civil rights attorney to represent them.
Attorney Ben Crump will represent the families of Sincere Pierce and AJ Crooms.
The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Monday that 18-year-old Pierce and 16-year-old Crooms died Nov. 13 during a deputy-involved shooting in a Cocoa neighborhood.
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According to the Sheriff’s Office, deputies were investigating another incident near U.S. 1 and State Road 528 around 10:30 a.m. when authorities tried to make contact with two people in a car near Stetson Drive South and Ivy Drive.
Cocoa police and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement were at the scene, but despite the heavy law enforcement presence, little information about the incident and what led up to it has been released.
Crump’s office released a statement Tuesday, saying the families still know very little about the circumstances of the teens' deaths. Another family member saw the encounter with deputies and begged them not to kill the teens, according to the news release.
[WATCH: Brevard deputy fatally shoots 2 teens, officials offer few details about what led to gunfire]
“These parents are heartbroken, as any parents would be. They deserve full transparency and speedy answers about who is responsible for the deaths and the circumstances surrounding their shootings. For two young Black teens just beginning their lives to be ended is a tragedy and a terrible loss to their families and to the community. We are demanding the details and all available bodycam footage immediately so that we have a clear sightline into what happened," Crump said in a statement.
The Sheriff’s Office has not released the name of the deputy who opened fire. The deputy is on paid administrative leave. The shooting is under FDLE investigation, which is standard protocol when a law enforcement officer uses deadly force.
In response to a News 6 request, the FDLE says they are actively investigating the case. As of Tuesday, they have conducted interviews with plans to complete more. The agency hopes to conclude the first round of interviews soon.
“Agents will continue to review evidence including videos, conducting interviews and build a timeline. We await results of the autopsy and will review that information once we have it,” a statement from the agency reads.
News 6 has requested body camera video from the shooting and other public records.