Protests erupt outside Farmers Branch city council meeting

A protest in Farmer Branch over a deadly officer- involved shooting from March quickly became heated.

The city’s mayor even needed a police escort after a protest that lasted through the entire city council meeting spilled out into the city hall parking lot when he tried to leave.

The group was protesting a deadly police shooting involving an off-duty Farmers Branch police officer who is no longer on the force.

The protestors gathered in support of Jose Cruz. He was the 16-year old shot and killed off-duty officer Kenneth Johnson March 13.

Johnson told police he saw Cruz and another teen breaking into cars in an Addison apartment complex parking lot. Johnson is facing murder and aggravated assault charges in the case and resigned from the Farmers Branch Police Department on March 24.

There was a brief confrontation outside city hall after the council meeting adjourned because protestors demanded the mayor meet with Ana Enriquez, mother of Jose Cruz. They also wanted the city to give a public apology to the teen’s family. Some protestors tried to physically block the mayor to keep from leaving the city hall parking lot.

“All he could have said is “Yes. I’ll meet with Ana Enriquez and the family and he didn't. He disrespected us, he disrespected Ana Enriquez and the family of Jose Cruz,” said Carlos Quintanilla, an activist with Accion America. “And we chased him and we blocked his car. Yes we did. But we did that because this mayor disrespected our community.”

Farmers Branch officers say they had about 15 to 20 officers at the Tuesday’s city council meeting but no arrests were made and no injuries were reported.

Johnson's criminal case is still pending. He has not been referred to a grand jury yet.

The city of Farmers Branch and Johnson are also facing a civil lawsuit filed on behalf of Jose Cruz's family.