Family seeks answers in fatal shooting of loved one by Homestead police
MIAMI - Details from authorities in Homestead about an officer-involved fatal shooting remain scarce.
The family of the subject shot by police told us their son, their brother, 24-year-old Daniel Allen Kempf, had a history of mental health issues. And now they're left wondering why he is dead.
"We cry," shared a tearful Yaneitsy Rosete, Kempf's mother. "We get angry. We cry. We get angry. It's been terrible."
Rosete is beginning to process what happened. CBS News Miami saw friends and neighbors come to comfort her and the family throughout the day on Monday. She told us her son was shot and killed Sunday night by a Homestead Police officer.
"He was not a violent child who would cause harm to anyone," said Rosete. "He was depressed. He said he didn't want to live anymore."
Homestead Police told CBS News Miami they have a history of responding to calls at the family's home. They say officers were called to the house at 4:24 Sunday afternoon and tried to avoid "lethal intervention."
CBS News Miami's Gorchow asked the mom: "Do you feel the police let your family down?"
"Yes," replied Rosete. "Yes, I do."
Gorchow then asked the mother: "Do you know why police were called to here in the first place?"
"My son was Baker Acted," shared Rosete. "He was going to be taken to a facility to be evaluated."
"He's been Baker Acted three or four times already," said Kempf's older brother, Tom. "We were trying to get him to a long-term facility."
Tom Kempf told us about his brother's mental health history. For those unaware, the Baker Act in Florida allows law enforcement to temporarily detain an individual for up to 72 hours for a mental health evaluation.
"He tried to kill himself three or four weeks ago," added Kempf. "He left a suicide note. We just wanted to help him."
Homestead Police told CBS News Miami the subject was armed, and the officer was forced to shoot her firearm.
"There are gunshots in the wall," Kempf told CBS News Miami on what he saw once he was allowed inside the home. "No one was here. I wasn't here. My mom wasn't here. Handprints on the bathtub. They say allegedly they tased him twice, but it remains to be seen. He's been starving himself. He's like 5'7, 150 pounds. There's no need to shoot someone who does not have a weapon."
The family left grieving with more questions than answers.
"I had a connection with him stronger than anyone I've had in my life," said Kempf.
The family wants to see the body camera footage. We've also asked Homestead Police for it, what the subject was armed with, and why they came to the home Sunday night.
Police did not confirm who died, as the officer-involved shooting remains under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
