Vigil held for Nicolas Chavez in Houston

On Saturday evening, the community joined Nicolas Chavez’s family for a vigil at the site where the 27-year-old was killed by Houston Police officers in April.

On Thursday, the Houston Police Department released the body camera video of the fatal encounter and announced 4 officers were fired.

RELATED: Four HPD officers fired following deadly April 2020 shooting of Nicolas Chavez

"This should have happened at the time, if the Chief of Police truly believed that those four officers were out of line. They've seen this video several times. They've had every opportunity to do that and the firing is not enough," said Dav Lewis with the organization SecondChances.Life and vigil organizer.

SIGN UP FOR FOX 26 HOUSTON EMAIL ALERTS

Chief Art Acevedo attended the vigil. He walked up to the podium and asked to speak.

"There's nothing we can say or do to bring your son back, other than tell you that we're sorry, just from the bottom of our hearts," he said looking at Chavez's mother, Leantha Chavez.

After his remarks, Acevedo offered a gesture of consolation to Leantha and it was not well-received.

"I haven't had a chance to breathe since that night," Leantha said emotionally during her remarks.

RELATED: Family of Nicolas Chavez say firing of police officers is a step in the right direction

She emotionally described her son as her best friend and as someone who struggled with depression after a motorcycle accident changed his life.

Lewis says, locally, five black men and two Latino men were killed by Houston area police this year. During the vigil, he read their names aloud and described how some of them also struggled with mental illness. He called on police to change the way they respond to men of color struggling with mental illness.

FOR THE LATEST NEWS & WEATHER UPDATES DOWNLOAD THE FOX 26 APPS

"There's been several of these cases where these families have fallen victim to the trauma associated with mental health," he added. "And instead of getting treatment, they've got death."

The Harris County District Attorney's Office is reviewing Chavez's case. The findings will be sent to a grand jury to decide whether or not the police officers who shot and killed Chavez were justified.