Murder Trial in Tyler: Officers Contradict Ross's Self-Defence Account

Tyler police officers testified Thursday in the murder trial of Kendrick Ross, accused of fatally shooting Demonta Brown in October 2025. Ross claims self-defence.

Tyler Officers Undercut Defence Claims on Day Three of Ross Murder Trial

Tyler Police Department officers took the stand Thursday in the ongoing murder trial of Kendrick Ross, accused of fatally shooting 32-year-old Demonta Jaquis Brown during an October 2025 confrontation, kltv.com reports. Ross also faces an aggravated assault charge for injuring Brown's sister, Autumn Pierce, in the same incident. He maintains he acted in self-defence.

Officer Espinosa opened Thursday's testimony by telling jurors that Ross never said he had been struck during his interaction with officers on the night of the shooting. Espinosa also noted that Ross initially claimed he did not know anyone involved — a statement at odds with earlier testimony indicating he recognised at least one person at the scene. Prosecutors reinforced that point by playing police body-camera footage showing Ross seated in the back of a patrol car shortly after the shooting.

Kendarris Barrett then took the stand, telling jurors that he and several others had gone to Ross's residence to recover a purse they believed had been stolen. That account aligns with testimony given Wednesday by Pierce, who said she had come to the home with a group of friends to retrieve a purse she believed Ross's sister had taken. Barrett told jurors that a physical altercation broke out between himself and Ross, and that Brown stepped in to break it up and told the men to stop.

According to Barrett, the fighting ended and the group had begun walking toward a truck when gunfire broke out — a sequence Pierce had also described in her earlier testimony.

Jurors additionally heard from Tyler Police Detective Cory Chamberlain, who conducted a post-shooting interview with Ross. Chamberlain testified that Ross acknowledged knowing at least one woman present, identifying her as Autumn. When investigators asked whether he had shot anyone, Ross said he had only defended himself with his hands. Chamberlain added that he informed Ross that investigators had tested him for gunshot residue and asked him to be truthful.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)