Father of man killed by Fort Worth police officer Sunday on truth pursuit

Alejandro Ponce said life hit him with some powerful blows. Divorce. Broken relationships with his two sons and daughters, but the 44-year-old said he was able to change that through faith and diligence. 

A new challenge has split his heart right down the middle. His son, Andrew Ponce, was killed by Fort Worth police Sunday morning.

"As a father, you're trying to figure out what happened and who was involved. All these questions started popping up in my head. I was like, 'I want to know what happened,'" he said.

What Fort Worth police say happened

Fort Worth Police Chief Eddie Garcia provided preliminary details at the scene of the officer-involved shooting Sunday. Garcia, who did not identify Ponce, said a suspect kicked in the door to an apartment in the 9200 block of Renee Circle.

The police chief said the suspect assaulted an individual, then held a knife to his own throat, refusing to comply with officers to the point of lethal injection. Garcia said the man kept advancing against the officer's command, and he was shot. taken to the hospital but did not survive.

Father says he learned of son's death at police headquarters

Ponce said he was not notified about his son's death. He knew his youngest son was supposed to meet him at church, but did not. So, the Johnson County man said God's Holy Spirit urged him to search for his child by pinging his phone. 

Ponce said he was puzzled when the trail took him to the records division of the Fort Worth Police Department. He started asking questions about his son's phone because, according to his cell phone technology, it was in the building.

The unsuspecting father said he spoke with a detective who connected him with someone else to speak with. "He's like, "We need to speak to you about something about your son."

In that moment, dread started to crawl into his gut. He said there was a heaviness when he walked into the building.

"He's no longer here with us. And when I told him, 'Yeah, I guess he's no longer here. He's dead,'" Ponce said. He's like, 'Yes, he was involved in a situation in an incident, and police shot him.'"

No real time to grieve between family notification and going to the county morgue to offer identifying information for his Andrew Isaiah Ponce.

Father says son struggled with mental health

"I told the officers, 'I'm not angry. I'm not furious,'" he said. "I just want to know the truth of what happened."

Ponce said he told police he wants to see as much as the law allows: police body-worn cameras and more. FWPD is expected to release more on the case, per Garcia, at a future date.

But the Johnson County father said his son was not evil. In fact, he said his son and the alleged victim have a documented past.

Ponce said his son did face mental health issues, and he was getting counseling. The 21-year-old, according to his father, was coming to church and talking more about the Holy Bible. He even worked, his father said, as an electrician's apprentice.

"I know sooner or later, there's going to be a moment that I'm going to just break down, but I know that he has me," he said.

He's certain God's word will see him through these trying times.