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WEBVTT MATT: ON BIG DISTINCTION THECHIEF MADE TONIGHT IS HE WANTEDTO SAY EMPHATICALLY THAT CHAKARIWILLIS WAS A VICTIM OF MENTALILLNESS IN THIS.>> IT'S JUST A TRAGEDY FOR THEWHOLE ENTIRE FAMILY AND LET'SPRAY FOR THEM AND PRAY FOR OUROFFICER.MATT: TRAGEDY, NOT CONTROVERSY.THAT'S THE MESSAGE FROM DAYTOBEACH POLICE ABOUT THE DEATH OFSHAKYRI WILLIS. POLICE SAY OFFICERS WERE CALLEDAS WILLIS WAS THREATENING TOSHOOT HIMSELF, IGNORING HISSISTER'S PLEAS AND AN OFFICER'S.AND WHEN HE ALLEGEDLY RAISED THEGUN TOWARD THE OFFICER, THEOFFICER SHOT AT HIM.POLICE SAY IT'S NOT CLEAR YETWHETHER A BULLET FROM THEOFFICER'S GUN OR HIS OWN TOOWILLIS' LIFE, BUT THEY SAY FALSECONCLUSIONS CAME IMMEDIATELY.FROM THE DEPARTMENT'S TWITTE"DBPD DID NOT SHOOT AN UNARMEDBLACK MAN TODAY AS IS BEINGREPORTED BY SOME SOCIAL MEDIA.">> IRRESPONSIBLE PEOPLE PUTTINGOUT FALSE INFORMATION WHEN YOUDON'T KNOW THE FACTS IS APROBLEM.HOW IS THAT DOING ANYBODYJUSTIC>> I APPRECIATE ON BEHALF OF THECITY AND THE CITIZENS, THETRANSPARANCY OF THE DEPARTMENTAND THEIR EFFORTS TO THINGS THERIGHT WAY.MATT: IN AN EFFORT OTRANSPARENCY, THE DEPARTMENTSHOWED A RECORDING OF THEOFFICER'S BODY CAMERA VIDEO TO ALOCAL NAACP REPRESENTATIVE ANDWILLIS' FAMILY.>> HAVING KNOWN THE YOUNG MANAND KNOWING HIS FAMILY, HE HAD ALOT OF PEOPLE WHO CARED ABOUTHIM AND FOR HIM.MATT: THE POLICE CHIEF SAYS THEOFFICERS BODY CAMERA WILL BERELEASED LATER THIS WEEK AFTERAN AUTOPSY IS PERFORMED.THE OFFICER WILL REMAIN ON LEAVEPENDING AN INVESTIGATION WHICHIS PROTOCOL.MATT LUPOLI, WESH 2, THE NEWSHOUR AT 10:00.

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The Daytona Beach police chief worked to dispel false accusations made about a man's death Tuesday. "It's just a tragedy for the whole entire family and let's pray for them and pray for our officer," Chief Craig Capri said. Capri stressed the death of Shakyri Willis was a tragedy, but not a controversy. "I'm calling him a victim," Willis said. "He's a victim of mental illness."An officer was called to Bellevue Avenue just after noon as Willis was allegedly in a yard threatening to shoot himself. Willis, police say, ignored pleas from his sister and the commands of a responding officer. Investigators say when Willis raised his weapon toward the officer, the officer shot at Willis. It wasn't immediately clear whether a bullet from the officer's gun or one from his own gun caused Willis' death. Capri said, however, false conclusions followed immediately."Irresponsible people putting out false information, when you don't know the facts is a problem," he said. "How is that doing anybody justice?" Capri said after an investigation that Willis died from a self inflicted gunshot wound. A post on the Daytona Beach Police Department's Twitter account read, "DBPD did not shoot an unarmed black man today as is being reported by some social media. A gun was recovered at scene." In an effort to maintain transparancy, the department showed a recording of the officer's body camera video to a local NAACP representative and Willis' family."I appreciate, on behalf of the city and the citizens, the transparency of the department and their efforts to do things the right way," Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry said. "Having known the young man and knowing his family, he had a lot of people who cared about him and for him," Henry said. Capri called Willis a victim of mental illness and said the video from the officer's body camera would likely be released after an autopsy is completed Thursday. The officer involved was placed on leave pending an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.