Family disputes police account in fatal shooting of Fort Worth rapper 88Dub

Nearly 20 seconds of body camera video show the final moments of 25‑year‑old Elijah Mayo's life, also known as rapper 88Dub.

The edited video appears to show officers running down a street with guns drawn. As they move toward a gray car, Mayo is seen running behind it.

His godmother, Vanessa Newson, said it was difficult to watch.

"Me seeing him breaking for a run, like my heart was already right there," Newson said.

Shots fired as officers approach

Moments later, shots were fired, and Mayo fell to the ground. The video shows a gun near his body. Police say they received 14 calls about gunfire in the area. When they arrived, officers said Mayo had a handgun, pointed it at them, and refused commands to drop it. After the shooting, the bodycam video again shows a gun near his body.

"I know Elijah, when that baby was running, and he cocked to the side, he was already hit, slowing down, he was already hit," Newson said. "Right then and there, they didn't even shoot, they just doot, doot, doot, doot."

Mayo's family members believe officers fired first.

"You see, when the shots went off, the smoke, and everything," Newson said.

Police chief addresses family's claims

CBS News Texas asked Fort Worth Police Chief Eddie Garcia about that claim.

"I can't sit here and tell you that the round that came through the passenger rear window belonged to the gun he was holding, yet I can't," Garcia said. "But as you will see, as you look at the video later, you will clearly see as my detectives have seen there, there was a bullet that came in through that side of the street. Whether that came from him or someone else, it's too early to tell."

Police said Mayo was a known gang member, but his family disputes that. Newson believes more de‑escalation should have occurred before officers opened fire.

"The gun was way beside him; he had already dropped it when they hit him from the first," Newson said. "They went in for the kill; that baby dropped instantly."

"I think every police chief is always concerned with the amount of officer-involved shootings," Garcia said. "But as I mentioned before, you have to dissect each one of the officer-involved shootings. You know, we've got five officer-involved shootings today. Three have been fatal."