Hour Photo/Alex von Kleydorff Connecticut State Conference of NAACP Branches President Scott Esdaile and honoree Rodney Bass talks during the reception at the Freedom Fund banquet in Stamford Friday night Hour Photo/Alex von Kleydorff Connecticut State Conference of NAACP Branches President Scott Esdaile and honoree Rodney Bass talks during the reception at the Freedom Fund banquet in Stamford Friday night Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close State NAACP president gives call to action in Redding death 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

NORWALK -- The President of the Connecticut NAACP came to the city Tuesday to urge members to rally behind the cause of an Redding man whose death has been deemed mysterious by some.

"The last six months I've been acting like a politician, but I'm not. I'm a community activist deep down in my blood...," said Scot X. Esdaile, president of the Connecticut NAACP. "I have been meeting with this family for the last couple of months. I've had conversations with the U.S. Justice Department, the FBI, and the Norwalk NAACP president."

Esdaile brought with him Albab Dabela, who's brother Abe Dabela died she says in a "mysterious" way in Redding. Abe, an African American, and an attorney in Redding was 35 when he died in April of 2014.

"He was one of the few black men in Redding, 95 percent white and less than one percent minority," said Dabela, speaking to a crowd of 30 at the Calvary Baptist Church on West Avenue.

Redding police determined it to be a "self inflicted wound" with a gunshot to the back of the head, saying he had committed suicide. Albab and her family believe that is false.

"Why did the police chief personally instruct our forensic team to never contact him? Why was no bullet found in the car? Why did the police fail to interview the last male Abe interacted with?," said Dabela, listing off several more questions she has for police. "...The most important question, did Abe's political views and dealing with the Redding police chief about gun rights and concealed carrying permitting have anything to do with the Chief's departures from protocol in Abe's death investigation?"

Albab believes the crime scene was under investigated due to the information given to the family. Around 1 a.m. Abe swerved, and flipped his car on a curve going only 20 miles per hour, only four minutes from his house, Dabela said, according to information released by the Redding police.

Albab, who also brought several family members with her, would often pause while talking, seeming to hold back tears.

Crime scene investigators said Abe crawled out unharmed, and then committed suicide with a gunshot to the head. The reason behind him committing suicide according to Redding police was that he was too ashamed to tell his family, and his girlfriend he had crashed his car.

Only five hours after his death, there was a press release, closing the case concluding it was suicide. The family wanted answers and the Redding police chief told the forensic team to tell the family never to contact him.

The bullet from his wound had no blood on it, and no DNA evidence. Abe's gun was also not tested, along with his hand to see if there was gunpowder on it.

The family has gathered the facts, and went to the NAACP gaining support from members. They reached out to ask for help, and are planning to have a press conference in Redding in front of the police, at a time yet to be determined.

Some from the Norwalk NAACP chapter voiced concerns about police safety, but Esdaile assured members there would be permits involved, and NAACP has a right to protest. NAACP brainstormed on ideas for justice of Abe including making T-shirts, posters, and being active on social media. Esdaile stated that NAACP needed to start local and gain support from all of the branches.