Family of man killed by Fort Pierce police wants answers

FORT PIERCE, Fla. – The family of a man shot by a Fort Pierce police officer expressed frustration over the lack of information about their son’s death in early May.

Police believe Bernard Smith shot three people on May 18 – two died – and then fired at police officers before an officer shot Smith, 28. The family said they were frustrated that they were not shown body camera footage to confirm police accounts.

“I, my family or anyone else have not been shown any body camera footage,” Albert Smith, Bernard’s father, said Tuesday. “Every other county shows video footage of the gun of the person who was shot, we have not been given any of that. We have not been shown any gun. We have not been shown any pictures of a gun. There was no gun on his body. He was murdered.”

Smith believes his child was murdered and the police have fabricated a story around his death.

“They’re demeaning him,” Smith said. “They’re accusing him of things he didn’t do. We’re tired of it. We’re tired of the lies. We’re tired of the cover-up that’s going on.”

Both Albert and April Smith, Bernard’s mother, who also spoke Tuesday night, apologized to the victims’ families at the meeting. Police identified Devin Bradley, 24, and Roosevelt Benjamin, 59, as those killed in the shootings.

Benjamin was the definition of a “girl dad,” according to family, and worked for the United States Postal Service for more than 20 years. Tonia Thomason, who identified herself as Benjamin’s daughter, told WPTV in May that he provided for his family.

“Even though he was deaf, he made sure we weren’t limited in anything,” Thomason said. “He provided for us. He took care of us. My mother was mostly a housewife. He just did everything in his power to make us happy.”

Quinton Johnson, Devin Bradley’s stepfather, said his stepson is a musician and is working on a degree. He also said he worked as an IT employee for the Fort Pierce Police Department.

“It’s like a bad dream that I wish I could wake up from, and it’s back,” Johnson said. “It gets worse every day. It seems like every time I talk about it, it brings tears to my eyes. I feel like a part of me is missing now.”

In a Facebook post, the department called Bradley an “incredible person” who “inspired and encouraged many people in the agency.” The department also described him as having a zest for life.

“At work, he always had a bright smile on his face and was very personable with his coworkers,” the post said. “He had a good work ethic and went out of his way to help us with our IT needs. His infectious smile and personable personality will be missed.”

The man who survived the shooting was identified as 50-year-old Craig Robinson.

April Smith said her family simply wants answers about details surrounding her son’s shooting. She said her family will have to pay for funeral expenses out of pocket because they do not have access to a police report.

“Why are we waiting for ballistics?” Smith asked. “Why are we still waiting for body camera footage? You’re still saying he shot you. We’re still demanding video.”

Smith said police described the investigation as ongoing to avoid showing body camera footage. Fort Pierce police had previously said the investigation was being handled by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said in a statement: “The FDLE continues to investigate the officer-involved shooting and we understand the family’s desire for answers. We are conducting a thorough investigation that includes collecting and processing evidence, conducting interviews, reviewing medical examiner and coroner reports, and reviewing second-to-minute records, and that takes time.”

WPTV reached out to Fort Pierce police but received no response.