Family of man killed by police asking for federal investigation

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The family of an unarmed man who was shot and killed by a Houston police officer is asking for a federal investigation, after a Harris County grand jury decided not to indict the officer.

They started a petition yesterday on Change.org and have collected 70 signatures so far. They're trying to collect 10,000 signatures to convince the Justice Department to investigate Officer Juventino Castro's actions.

Officer Castro shot and killed 26-year-old Jordan Baker outside a northwest Houston shopping center last January.

Castro was looking for a robbery suspect and said Baker matched the description.

Houston police say that when Castro tried to stop Baker, he ran around the corner into a dark alley.

After a short chase, Castro said Baker charged toward him and reached into his waistband. Claiming to fear for his life, Castro fired his weapon once, killing Baker, who was unarmed.

The Harris County District Attorney's Office declined to comment on the petition.