Family of Kaci Cyprian say they were denied access to police footage after having meeting to review it

LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) -- The family of 19-month-old Kaci Cyprian is disappointed once again after being told they could not yet view the footage of the officer-involved shooting that ended in the death of the toddler.

The child's mother, Jowanna Washington, announced on Facebook last month that the family would be allowed to view the footage.

John C. Barnett III, founder of True Healing Under God, National Civil Rights Office in North Carolina said the family had a meeting Monday with prosecutors to finally view the footage but were denied access. Barnett is also a spokesperson for the family.

“The first thing we did, we met with the mayor. The mayor gave us her blessing that she would open up the doors for us to view the video and it's very disheartening. I'll tell you what, because the mayor has seen the video, but the parents aren't seeing the video,” he said.

Barnett said it was told to the family that prosecutors "don't want to show the video because it may hurt their case."

District Attorney Don Landry told News 10 that the video cannot be shared pending the investigation.

John Nicholas, Washington’s brother, was arrested and faces multiple charges including the death of Kaci, attempted first-degree murder, and domestic abuse. Public records show his trial is set for Dec. 2.

Mayor-President Monique Boulet confirmed she had a meeting with the family in September and tried to set them up with the assistant director district to see the video. She explained that the reviewing of the video is up to the ADA on the case.

Washington said she and the family arrived at the district attorney's office Monday morning and waited one hour before they were denied.

“I have been preparing all week myself mentally, and now I just psych myself for basically nothing and we're still standing here with no answers about our daughter but what people are telling us. Like we've been saying, we are tired of the he says, she says. We are tired of the back-and-forth with people on social media," Washington said.

"All we’re asking for is the truth. I never would have wanted to see my baby daughter. In a million years I would have never wanted to watch my baby die. But if that's what it would have taken for me to get the closure I still don’t have closure because y’all telling me no and I am her mother," she continued.

The mayor-president conveyed her deepest sympathies to the family.

“We lost a baby that day and where we are today is that the case is under investigation with the DA's office,” she said.

The mayor-president explained that she reached out to the mother early in the spring and started a conversation with her to let her share her deep sympathies with her for what she was going through and facilitate information the mother might want or need.

Boulet said that she explained the officers who responded to the incident that day were in a very difficult situation and had gone in to diffuse a domestic abuse situation.

“You could hear very strong fighting going on inside of the house. They had gotten a call for help and so they went in to try to diffuse that situation. They did not go in with a gun drawn first. They went in with a taser and so that lead officer did get shot," she said.

"It was very tragic what happened. It was very tragic for the family. It's very tragic for our officers and so while I do share my deepest sympathies with the family, it is a very complex case and so the district attorney does have to be careful with what they show and what they don't show but I do want the family to know it. We are deeply compassionate for them and for the baby that was lost," she continued.

The mayor-president said the investigation and the upcoming trial must be respected.

"It is a very serious investigation. We lost a life that day and several other people, I think four other people were shot in the process of what was going on and so we do just have to be careful with that. But at the same time, balance the need for the family to know what's actually happened," she said.

Barnett said they are working on getting the family a lawyer and a justice rally will be planned.

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