Family demands justice after bounty hunter shooting
Two bounty hunters face murder charges in Dallas after allegedly shooting and killing a man with non-violent warrants, sparking questions from the victim’s family about their use of force and expired licenses.
DALLAS – The family of a man allegedly killed by a bounty hunter and a private investigator wants justice to be served.
What we know:
The shooting on Thursday morning, near Deep Ellum, left 33-year-old Drew Knowles dead as the two suspects are facing murder charges.
Drew Knowles’ cousin, Cody Beck, tells FOX 4’s Peyton Yager that Knowles was aware of the warrants and aware he had eventually taken responsibility.
But Knowles’ family at the same time are questioning the approach of these two bounty hunters and how warrants for non-violent crimes ended in a fatal shooting.
A newly obtained surveillance video shows 33-year-old Drew Knowles during his final moments on Thursday morning, driving in Deep Ellum.
Seconds later, you can hear gunshots from one street over.
Dallas police say around 8:30 on Thursday morning, Knowles was shot and killed by two bounty hunters who’d been following him.
34-year-old Rodney Brown and his partner, 23-year-old Jorge Moncivais, are both charged with murder.
Dig deeper:
According to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, Knowles had two felony warrants: one for theft from Dallas police. Another for credit card abuse in Carrollton.
According to an affidavit, Brown and Moncivais used license plate roaders to track Knowles to the Deep Ellum area.
Police say that’s when the pair boxed Knowles’ BMW in, got out of their two vehicles, and both opened fire.
After reviewing street cameras, investigators determined as Knowles was trying to drive away, Brown and Moncivais were “shooting into a moving vehicle and not being in danger of being run over”.
Knowles was shot 4 times.
In another surveillance video sent to FOX 4, when you zoom in you can see Knowles’ BMW turn onto Cantegral Street where he eventually crashed into a power pole.
Intake video shows Brown and Moncivais being booked into the Dallas County Jail for murder on Thursday evening.
According to online state records, the armed security officer licenses for both bounty hunters expired last month.
What they’re saying:
“I know he knew he had the warrants. We talked about that recently,” said Beck. “Why was there first actions to shoot and kill my brother man it’s crazy.”
Knowles and Beck were raised in the same home growing up in Arkansas.
“I’m sure he was scared, alone,” said Beck.
“Everything you could experience with a sibling, I did with him. My whole life,” said Beck. “I hope justice is fully served to them. 100% we will make sure of it.”
What’s next:
Both Brown and Moncivais are still in the Dallas County Jail.
Both of their bonds are set at half a million each.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by an interview conducted by FOX 4’s Peyton Yager and documents obtained by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office.
Crime and Public SafetyDeep EllumDallasDallas County