JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In a statement released Tuesday, the State Attorney's Office says that the Jacksonville deputy who shot and killed Bobby James Brown accidentally discharged his weapon.
The incident was deemed "not criminal" by the SA's office, however, body camera footage of the incident will not be released because his mother, Eugenia Brown, objected.
Because the incident occurred inside a private home, the footage can remain confidential and is exempt from public record law.
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office deputies shot and killed 42-year-old Brown after he barricaded himself in an apartment bathroom, armed with two kitchen knives on the 2300 block of Grunthal Street, according to a report.
A picture of the knives obtained by First Coast News showed that one was a butter knife and one was a steak knife.
According to David Chapman with the State Attorney’s Office, "A full report concluding the State’s investigation will be available to the public upon completion.”
The State Attorney's Office also notified the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office of this legal decision.
Eugenia Brown says she met with the State Attorney’s Office Monday to discuss what happened on July 30 and why the officer's negotiations with her son took a violent turn. She spoke to First Coast News about what she remembers on that day.
“I wake up every morning hearing that bullet hit my son. And my son said, 'Why?'” she said.
July 30 is a day Brown says changed her life forever.
“It was just a horrible day for me. A very horrible day. Bobby was a special individual. Bobby was quiet. Outgoing, he was outgoing. He loved it outside. He loved it. His daughter. He did have a record. He did have that. But Bobby was Bobby,” she said.
That day, Brown says Bobby visited a home on Grunthal Street and got into an argument with a family member. Officers were called and police say Bobby barricaded himself in the bathroom with kitchen knives. Brown says she stood with officers talking to Bobby through the door.
“Bobby said he will come out if they give him a cigarette. The officer that was very sweet was like, 'Go get him a cigarette.' When I went to go, I stepped down on the last step to get the cigarette. That's when everything unfolded. That's when I heard the gun. I kept screaming, “Where did you shoot my son? Did you shoot my son?” Brown said.
Brown says her son was shot in the chest and died. She is now advocating for his life.
“I want people to know that Bobby was human, but it's no different than your child. He wasn't perfect, but he wasn't a monster. He wasn't a demon,” Brown said.
Earlier this month, the State Attorney’s Office said it hadn’t authorized the release of the video because it was working to resolve privacy concerns.