Family of William Rich wants body camera footage released

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - Around 30 family members and friends of 22-year-old William Rich marched from the Cedar Rapids Police Department to the Linn County Courthouse Tuesday pleading for answers.

Police said they responded to a domestic call last Tuesday and tried to apprehend Rich. That was when they said he brandished a weapon. It was then that they say officers shot and killed Rich. The family of Rich said William was not carrying a weapon at the time of the incident.

“The family is grieving,’ said Ture Morrow, a Board Member for the Advocates for Social Justice.

Morrow doesn’t know Rich but said the family deserves the body camera footage to understand what happened.

“We don’t know what happened,” he said. “It’s important to find out.”

As Rich’s family and friends continue to grieve, they want people to not only see the pain they’re going through but that they still have unanswered questions.

Morrow said they were planning a protest Thursday at 5 PM. All the details were still being worked out.

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that police said William Rich brandished a gun - police have said Rich brandished a weapon but did not specify the type of weapon.