Family seeks answers, changes after veteran killed by deputy

By KIM CHANDLER
Associated Press

WETUMPKA, Ala. (AP) — The parents of a military veteran killed by a sheriff’s deputy say they want answers about what happened and changes to how police respond to a mental health crisis. Thirty-two-year-old Jonathan Pears was shot and killed in the front yard of his parents’ Alabama home on July 28, 2021.  His parents called 911 during a volatile argument with their son, who had PTSD. They have filed a lawsuit accusing the sheriff’s department of using excessive force. A deputy told the parents they had to shoot because he was coming at his father with a knife, but his parents maintain that he hadn’t threatened anyone and wasn’t close enough to be a danger.