Murder Victim's Family Searches For Answers 1 Year After Deadly Shooting

Rickia Crawford was shot and killed by her boyfriend a year ago this week. Now that her family has come through their shock and initial grief, they have questions for police about what happened that day.

Police said Rickia's boyfriend, Dwayne Jackson, was naked and walking around with a rifle at their apartment complex, so several people called 911.

While police were there, Rickia and Dwayne's mothers both tried to talk to him, to calm him down, but he shot Rickia point blank in the chest and officers immediately killed him.

Rickia's family contacted News on 6's Lori Fullbright to see if she could help get them answers.

Rickia's family said she was outgoing and always wanted to do for others, but she was certainly no push over.

"She always spoke her mind; she got that from me. She was a good, sweet, young girl though. She meant well," Ricky Crawford, Rickia's father.

"You knew where you stood at all times with Rickia, no sugar coating it. That's what I loved about her," Cassandra Prear, Rickia's aunt.

Rickia had opened her own salon space, had a 12-year-old daughter, and things were going well for her.

"The day she was murdered, she had just bought a brand new car and she was so excited and she was driving around, went by her nan's house and she wanted everybody to see this car. Things just happened too instantly," said Cassandra.

That was April 11, 2022. Her family said Rickia dropped her daughter and sister off at the store, then took Dwayne back to their apartment complex near 81st and Sheridan.

She had no idea he would go inside, take off all of his clothes and then come out with a rifle.

His mother was standing in front of him. You can see her in the blue from a video shot by a neighbor. Then, Rickia walks up next to his mother and immediately, Dwayne shoots her, then police shot and killed him.

"Her sister is talking to her on the phone and that's when they heard the gunshot and this baby mom, had just dropped her off and she never came back," Cassandra recalled.

The family rushed to the hospital, waiting for word of Rickia's condition. They said after three hours, people were texting and calling, saying they heard on the news that two people were dead. That's when they said police confirmed their worst fears.

Now, one of their questions is why didn't police shoot Dwayne when they first arrived?

"Like he should've already been taken out. Not only was he a threat to Rickia, he was a threat to everybody in that apartment complex," Cassandra said.

Police said when they arrived, Dwayne was holding the rifle in front of his chest, not pointing it at anyone. Police said he hadn't hurt anyone, so they had no legal right to use deadly force and shoot. Plus, his mother was just feet from him.

Rickia's family also wants to know why police allowed her, an untrained civilian, to walk up to Dwayne in the first place.

"Shouldn't have never gone that far, you know what I'm saying? For fact, these scenes and scenarios, you are here to protect and serve. How did it go that far?" Cassandra asked.

Police said they didn't have an officer close enough to Rickia to stop her. Police said she got to Dwayne quickly and was saying, 'don't shoot him or you'll have to shoot me first.'

The family said Dwayne's mother was the one saying that, not Rickia.

The family said at the hospital, they were told there were only two officers at the scene. However, the video clearly shows more than that.

Homicide Lt. Brandon Watkins said if they were told that, it was incorrect. He said what the video doesn't show is many of them had just arrived when the shots were fired. He said they weren't just sitting there, waiting and watching.

Lt. Watkins said from the time police arrived at the scene, until the moment Dwayne fired shots, was less than five minutes.

The family also wants to know if snipers were present. Police said that the Special Operations team didn't have time to get there before it was already over.

"She was beautiful, inside and out," Ricky said. Rickia's father struggles to talk about his first born, the oldest of three girls, other than to say he was proud of her and her loss still cuts deep.

No one in the family is surprised Rickia tried to help that day. They understand Dwayne is the one who pulled the trigger, but they believe police could've done more.

"They should've stopped my daughter," Ricky said.