The family of 28-year-old Kendrick Gipson says they want to see unredacted body and dash camera footage of the police pursuit that turned deadly.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Nearly three months after 28-year-old Kendrick Gipson died in a crash during a police chase in Fort Worth, his family says grief has been compounded by unanswered questions surrounding his death.
Flowers still mark the spot where Gipson crashed and died in March. His family created a roadside memorial as they continue searching for clarity about what happened during the final moments of his life.
“We don’t know what’s going on,” Gipson’s sister, Jamia Lemons, said. “What happened prior to this — what happened?”
The family told WFAA Fort Worth police allowed them to view a redacted portion of body camera footage, but not all of it. They want to see the full, unredacted video.
According to Fort Worth police, officers tried to stop Gipson’s vehicle after learning it was associated with a person involved in an aggravated kidnapping investigation.
Police say Gipson himself was not the kidnapping suspect.
Investigators said Gipson fled and led officers on a pursuit along Interstate I-35W.
Police say Gipson lost control of his vehicle and drove off the freeway near Pharr Street and crashed into a concrete bridge pillar.
Fort Worth police say officers didn’t use a tactical vehicle intervention, also known as a PIT maneuver, during the chase.
“We know he ran from the police, but we wanna know what happened after he crashed,” Lemons said.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Gipson died from blunt force injuries.
Still, relatives say they remain frustrated after being shown only redacted portions of police body camera and dash camera video.
“They released some, but it’s redacted,” said Gipson’s aunt, Djuanna Gipson.
His grandmother, Debbie Gipson, said the footage left her angry rather than reassured.
“I was really mad because this ain’t telling us nothing to even give us closure,” she said. “Closure is what you need.”
The family says they want to see what happened during the crash and immediately afterward, including police response efforts.
“I wanna see the body cam where they supposed to administered CPR and a dash cam of the case,” Debbie Gipson said. “I wanna see everything they got. Everything.”
WFAA has requested unredacted body camera and dash camera footage from Fort Worth police.
For Gipson’s loved ones, the fight for answers is now tied closely to their grieving process.
“It’s hard because everybody is confused,” Lemons said. “We wanna know what transpired, what happened.”
She said the uncertainty has affected not only immediate family members but also friends and others who knew him.
“He has a lot of family that misses him too,” Lemons said. “A lot of us is hurting out here. His friends — he left an impact on a lot of people and he was very loved.”
Debbie Gipson said the emotional toll has remained constant since March.
“Every morning I get up, I kiss him [his photo],” she said. “He was my favorite.”
Sometimes, she said, she sits alone looking through photographs of her grandson.
“I look at his picture and I say why?” she said. “I know there’s a God and I know he’s good and I do have faith, but still I wonder why.”
The crash site itself remains difficult to face.
“I try not to even look at that street, that exit,” she said. “It’s still here.”
Her grief, she said, has not faded with time.
“I’m lost and I never thought I would be lost like this,” Debbie Gipson said. “I’m lost.”
As weeks turn into months, the family says they are still waiting.
“I wanna know what is it gonna take to get it released,” Lemons said. “How long do we have to wait? What are we waiting for?”