TEMPLE, Texas — Editor's Note: 6 News Senior News Producer Crystal Pratt White had the chance to speak with Dean's family ahead of the protest. She gathered her thoughts and shared them. Here they are.
We had a chance to speak with the Dean family on Friday, and even though they were not contacted by the organizer of today's protest, they say Michael still deserves justice.
The family says his children deserve justice and they want to see that justice served. So they will be there, along with dozens of other people who want to see justice not only served here, but around the nation.
Michael Dean wanted to go home to his family just like any of us, but he didn't have that chance.
He will never see his children graduate, go to college or even get married.
Things that we tend to take for granted, because we never expect our loved ones to be taken from us in an instant.
I was raised in Temple and I have been working at this station for 18 years, and you never expect this to happen in your town. An unarmed man shot and killed -- at the hands of someone here to protect and serve.
I do know that officers actions do not speak for every officer in the world.
But what I do know is Michael is no longer with us -- and that he shouldn't be - gone.
If we are going to see a change it starts with the people at today's protest here in downtown Temple. Dean's family is asking that everyone in attendance goes to today's protest with Michael's mindset.
Peacefulness -- they say Michael never liked trouble and he was definitely a peacemaker.
We may not always agree on how things should be done -- but can we at least agree that we have the power to make a change if we all just listen to each other.
To Michael Dean's family: There are a lot of people who are going to be in downtown Temple for you tonight. And that's what matters: People uniting, coming together for change.
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