Family of Elderly Man Killed by Police Reveals New Evidence

By Roger Weeder First Coast News

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- The family of an 80-year-old man fatally shot by undercover police officers has new evidence on what they say really happened.

Officers were on an undercover narcotics operations around Philips Highway and Westmont Street last January when several entered the yard of Isaac Singletary.

Singletary, known affectionately in the areas as "Pops," came out of his house and exchanged words with officers, before police officers killed him.

Police say Singletary refused to drop his gun when ordered to, and they had no choice but to shoot him.

Witnesses told First Coast News back then Singletary had asked the officers to get off his property.

"If you are not safe on your own property, where are you safe at?" asked Singletary's nephew, Gary Evans.

"I would like to see them charged with murder because that's what it was."

Singletary's family has hired two lawyers for guidance as the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office continues its investigation.

Benjamin Crump is an attorney from Tallahassee. He says witnesses gave him sworn statements that the officers did not identify themselves to the elderly man.

Crump also talked about the just-released autopsy report. It shows Singletary was shot four times, once in the back.

"They shot him in the front yard and then went to the back yard and shot him," said Crump. The attorney showed pictures of what appeared to be blood splattered on the rear wall of Singletary's home.

The Singletary family says it's waiting for the sheriff's department to wrap up its investigation before deciding on a course of action.

The State Attorney's office ruled in April that the this police shooting was justified.

State Attorney Harry Shorstein said at the time he was troubled by certain elements in the undercover operation.

Among his concerns were that Singletary had no previous arrest record and was known by undercover officers as a "police-friendly person." Next week, the Response to Resistance Board will hold a hearing on the fatal shooting.

The officers involved will testify. The board will then make a recommendation to Sheriff John Rutherford on whether the undercover officers followed procedure.