SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA)- It’s been less than a week since Spartanburg County deputies responded to a home on South Carolina Avenue for a wanted person. 

Deputies said the standoff ended in them shooting and killing 39-year-old Darius Holcomb. This came after the sheriff’s office removed the family from the home and began negotiating with Holcomb.

Once negotiations and tear gas failed, deputies sent a K9 into the bedroom Holcomb barricaded himself in. They said Holcomb stabbed the K9 and that’s when deputies shot him.

“No amount of money can bring their baby back,” said Dr. Benita Robinson, Racial Justice Network and the family’s legal team. “But you are not going to keep treating us like we are less than a dog.”

Holcomb’s family said Monday that they want answers.

“We just want to get answers, we want the video footage, we want to know why they had to use guns to take him down when they could’ve done anything, they could have used the taser they could’ve used mace,” said Taja Holcomb, sister of the victim.

The family said Holcomb served 18 years for previous charges and having dealt with law enforcement before, they claim it was well-known he suffered from a mental health illness.

“Every last officer that came to my house knew firsthand that Darius had mental issues,” said Terria Holcomb, mother of the victim. “And you come to my house to arrest my child and at the end of the damn day, you still didn’t arrest my child. You killed my child, you took my child from me. My child was only 39 years old, he did not deserve to die like this, he really didn’t.”

State house representative Marvin Pendarvis attended and spoke on behalf of the family.

“That public trust was broken and what ensued was an egregious violation of Darius’s civil rights, ultimately costing him his life; the entire system failed Darius,” said Pendarvis.

As the news conference concluded, the family asked for change.

“We have to make sure when we call them, they’re going to show up and do everything possible instead of using gun violence and excessive force first,” said Dr. Candace Brewer, sister of the victim and national president of Racial Justice Network. “We stand here because we are sick and tired of being sick and tired.” 

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating the shooting.

The family said this is the first of two news conferences they will be holding.