Expand / Collapse search
☰

Titusville PD releases edited bodycam video in deadly shooting, drawing criticism

By
Published  June 13, 2025 10:46pm EDT
Brevard County
FOX 35 Orlando
Titusville PD release edited bodycam video in deadly shooting

Titusville PD release edited bodycam video in deadly shooting

Titusville police released an edited bodycam video of a fatal shooting, showing only five seconds of unedited footage in a narrated 18-minute breakdown by the chief.

The Brief

    • Titusville police released a video statement with some officer-worn body camera footage from a controversial officer-involved shooting of 25-year-old Trimarea Charles.
    • The police chief narrated most of the video and shared about ten seconds of the full shooting at the end of the pre-recorded statement.
    • Community members say the information doesn’t give them clarity in the shooting that happened in February.

TITUSVILLE, Fla. - A heavily edited body camera video released by the Titusville Police Department is drawing criticism from community members and renewed demands for transparency more than four months after the deadly police shooting of 25-year-old Trimarea Charles.

What we know:

Titusville Police released an 18-minute pre-recorded video on Friday that included only five seconds of unedited body camera footage from a fatal officer-involved shooting of 25-year-old Trimarea Charles that occurred more than four months ago. The remainder of the footage was slowed down and narrated by Police Chief John Lau. The State Attorney’s Office ruled the shooting justified earlier in the week.

The shooting happened back on Feb. 7. Since then, tensions have been escalating at city council meetings where family members and concerned citizens have been demanding transparency in the ongoing Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation. 

The state attorney cleared the officers this week of any wrongdoing, and the police chief released a new statement on Friday. 

Community members say they wanted to see the entirety of the police and civilian interaction from that night and not edited versions of what happened. The community is still demanding answers and accountability from the police department. The chief was not available for interviews on Friday.

What we don't know:

We don’t know when TPD will release the raw footage. FOX 35 has submitted several records requests from the night of the shooting. It’s unclear what the victim’s mom was shown when police shared video from the incident with her on Thursday.

The backstory:

The shooting happened more than 100 days ago, sparking ongoing community protests and repeated calls for transparency. Tensions between local officials and residents have escalated as the police department delayed the release of any footage, prompting suspicion and frustration from the victim’s family and supporters.

What they're saying:

The footage, released Friday, was part of an 18-minute pre-recorded video featuring Police Chief John Lau. Only about five seconds of unedited body camera video was shown. Critics took issue with the chief’s tone during the video, in which he directly called out those who have protested at city council meetings.

"What we seen was a movie production, so this is the confusing part," said James Saunders, a friend of Samantha Charles, who is the mother of Trimarea Charles.

"There’s a family that’s grieving. There’s a community that’s grieving. Don’t push blame on others," said Lance Fisher, former deputy police chief for Palm Bay, who is a strong advocate of accountability and transparency with police now.

"They have been screaming from the mountains that our officers did not act appropriately," said Titusville police chief, John Lau, who has been critical of people speaking out at city council meetings before the video and investigation were complete.

The family’s lawyer, Natalie Jackson, Co-Director of Litigation at Ben Crump Law, also released a statement following the video release:

"This has always been about transparency and accountability. When you keep a grieving family in the dark for months, it creates suspicion. It erodes trust. It forces them to mourn without answers. And if police believed the video supported the officers’ actions, then why the delay? Holding back footage makes it look like departments only released it when it suits their narrative. That’s not justice — that’s PR."

What's next:

FOX 35 News has requested the raw, unedited footage from the night of the shooting and is still waiting for its release.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:

The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Titusville Police Department, Natalie Jackson, Co-Director of Litigation at Ben Crump Law, Lance Fisher, former deputy police chief for Palm Bay, and James Saunders, a friend of Samantha Charles.

Brevard CountyTitusvilleCrime and Public Safety