HOUSTON — Joshua Johnson's family has been waiting for justice for a year. This week, they're hopeful a grand jury's decision will get them one step closer.
"The killing of Joshua Johnson is a cover-up," family spokesman James Hudson said.
Johnson's mother, Wilhelmena Beary, wiped away tears as she listened to Hudson and Rep. Al Green push for answers in her son's death.
"They want to know what happened to their son," Green said.
Johnson was killed last April by Tu Tran, a 12-year veteran HCSO deputy working undercover on the Gulf Coast Task Force. He was tracking a capital murder suspect the morning of the deadly encounter.
"He (Joshua) was not a capital murder suspect," Hudson said.
Johnson was house-sitting for an elderly neighbor not far from his parent's house when investigators said he approached the officer's unmarked vehicle with a flashlight and a BB gun. Words were exchanged and Tran opened fire.
"After he shot him twice, he left the scene," Hudson said. "That on its own is enough to bring him to justice."
Johnson's family said the deputy's story doesn't add up. The family said they found one of the deputy's bullets far from where Tran said the deadly encounter happened.
"That bullet is not going to go through Joshua's chest, out his back, across the street, over four cars and around that corner, it is impossible," Hudson said.
Now, with an expected decision from the grand jury in just days, Green is demanding transparency.
"When it's shrouded in secrecy, this family will continue to grieve," Green said.
Johnson's family is praying the deputy is indicted for killing their son.
"It's the right thing to do," Hudson said. "You have good police and bad police and Tu Tran is a bad police officer."