Who is Shir’Damion Edwards? An active, devoted father of three, a phenomenal sibling, and an amazing son. The life of all family functions. Bringing laughter to any situation because he has always been the peacemaker. His kids, family, friends, and coworkers truly adore and appreciate him. Damion is a father of two young boys, embracing shared parenting responsibilities, and a dedicated single father to a one-year-old Winter, whom he has been nurturing and raising alone since infancy.

Before I begin the reasons for this fundraiser, I must emphasize that no given life is more important than another one, and at no time am I or my son attempting to diminish the value of anyone’s life or character.

On May 20th, Shir’ Damion awoke to find several missed calls from his child's mother, with whom he strictly co-parents with. When he returned her call, he was met with a frantic mother on the line requesting he comes an pickup his eighth year-old son. Stating that her current live-in boyfriend, and child's father, had physically assaulted her and his son, requesting that he come and remove his son from her home.

I myself personally have been called to the home previously to retrieve my grandson due to prior reports of abuse from the deceased. I personally spoke with him, requesting that if he wasn’t able to provide the correct discipline to my grandson as the man of the house, he should not discipline him at all. I requested that if there was ever a situation, the child's mother should contact me or his father, and we I would come pick him up. On that very same day of the incident, I personally missed calls from my grandson’s mom while at work. She attempted to contact me to pick him up and remove him from the home. Also, noting the night before, the police were called out to her home, where she sustained a broken arm during an altercation with the deceased.

These are the facts from that day. While en route to retrieve his son, Damion received another call from his son's mother, this time hysterical screaming that the deceased was threatening to unalive her and his son. The police had already been called by the maternal grandmother, and by his eight-year-old prior to my son's arrival.

At the time of arrival, my son, a responsible registered gun owner, did exit the car with his gun, as the deceased was standing in the doorway of the home, while his son was sitting outside in the yard garnishing a handgun. Damion and the deceased exchange words regarding the physical abuse of his son, in which the child's mother stated, “Just take your son and leave I didn’t call you over so you guys can have an altercation.” Damion and the child's mother walked back to his car so he could leave with his son. At the time, the deceased was waving his gun, using profanity, requesting the child’s mother to step away from Damion because he was about to shoot and kill him.

Damion, unaware because of the commotion, that his scared eight-year-old had run back towards the house and removed his baby sister from the yard, the deceased daughter, and placed her in the back seat of his car. Cleary scared and wanting to protect her. The deceased became more outraged, walking from the house towards Damion, hurling insults while continuing to request his girlfriend/child mother to move so he could shoot Damion, demanding he remove his daughter from the backseat of his car while banging on Damion’s car.

Damion afraid to turn his back, requesting that the deceased remove his daughter from his car. The unlock button on the keypad was broken, and the back door handles were broken. In order to unlock the back doors, Damion would have had to crank the car up and unlock the doors from the inside. He requested his child’s mother to remove her daughter from his car, and she refused. When I asked her why, she stated the deceased was standing inches away, demanding that she move so he could shoot Damion; she was afraid that if she stepped away, he would shoot and kill Damion. Also, during this time, Damion, eight-year-old in fear of his father's life, had jumped in front of the deceased, whom he pushed away, stating what he would do to him if he didn’t move, growing increasingly angrier.

Doing this time, Damion attempted to bargain, requesting that he stop waving his gun around the kids; the deceased then cocked his gun. In a fight-or-flight response, Damion shot, fearing for his life. The deceased was struck in the chest. The child's mother began attacking Damion, pulling his hair. In fear of what she might do, he broke his gun down and placed it on his car and emptied all the bullets from the deceased gun. He knelt at the deceased's side, talking with him, encouraging him to breathe, and that help was on the way. His son had called the authorities again, which had not responded to the previous calls.

Damion walked to the street, flagged the police and ambulance down, he stated he didn’t want them to pass the house as the deceased needed help. Then he knelt to be taken into custody.

My son was questioned and released. We were both told by the detective that the doorbell camera showed exactly what Damion had described, and it was self-defense. Only to be arrested two days later. I was told by the very same detective that he agreed with self-defense, but it was out of his hands that the prosecutor's office picked it up, stating that Damion waved self-defense because of the speed at which he pulled up, which showed him to be the aggressor. I will state it again: because of the way he pulled up, and the speed his car was going. For a month, the city has paid tribute to eight kids who just lost their lives. So, I ask, when a father receives a call that someone is threatening to unalive their son, what speed should he have arrived going?

Hours later, the Shreveport Police Department, along with other news outlets, reported the arrest of Shir’ Damion Edwards, stating the police believed at the time there was another gun, but no gun was found. Despite me speaking with the detective that very same day, that confirmed the doorbell camera showed the deceased with a gun.

My son, a father of three, is now sitting behind bars with a $2,500,000.00 bail charged with Second degree murder. No criminal past and a responsible registered gun owner. Since his arrest all communication with the detective has ceased. When I call the only information, I have is that he has a court date in August. I’m being advised to call back as his case hasn’t been assigned to anyone, the DA office as of today couldn’t even find a docket number on him.

His kids are left without a father. His one-year-old is now in my custody. His eight year old when learning his dad was arrested stop eating and I quote, “I told them the truth, and my dad still got in trouble. This is all my fault!” Me and my family needs help raising money for an attorney to represent my son. No father deserves to lose their life while justly defending their life

and the life of his son.