Friends, family hold vigil to honor Terrence Sterling

FORT WASHINGTON - A huge crowd gathered in Prince George's County Friday night to remember Terrence Sterling, a man shot and killed by D.C. Police.

It's a case now under investigation, after questions on why the officer pulled the trigger and whether police broke protocol. While those at the vigil were there to celebrate Sterling's life, there was also anger and confusion over the way he died. Friends said they don't understand how something like this could happen to someone like Sterling.

"With all the stuff that's going on with black lives matter and police brutality, I just don't understand how it can keep going on and on," said Roger Fowlkes, one of Sterling's close friends. Friends described Sterling as someone who always had a smile, loved his motorcycle and worked six to seven days a week.

Early Sunday, Sterling was on his motorcycle when police say he was driving "recklessly," and they tried to stop him. Police said after they stopped Sterling, he rammed their vehicle with his bike as he tried to get away, and that's when an officer opened fire.

Witnesses tell a different story. They tell FOX 5 that police used their vehicle to block Sterling, so the collision seemed to be unavoidable. One witness says police didn't say a word before an officer fired two shots out of the passenger window.

Terrence Sterling shooting: What we know so far.

Sources within D.C. police tell FOX 5 the officers were told by a supervisor not to pursue Sterling in the first place, and we've also learned that while the officers were wearing body cameras, they were not turned on at the time of the shooting.

According to a police report, no weapon was recovered from the scene, and police have not said they recovered one. Sterling's family was not at the vigil on Friday night, but FOX 5's Lindsay Watts did speak to their pastor.

"Their focus is on getting their son buried, and then they're going to take it from there," said Pastor Nelson White with House of Hope Praise Ministries. "But they want justice to be served because, at the end of the day, it was just a tough situation for everybody involved. We've got some questions and we want answers."

The U.S. Attorneys office is investigating the shooting along with DC Police

Sterling will be buried on Saturday.