Dozens of civil rights activists and community members attended a town hall meeting in East Austin Monday evening, eager to voice their concerns regarding the circumstances surrounding the officer-involved shooting of Byron Carter Jr.

Last May, two APD officers said Carter, who was 20-years-old at the time, and a 16-year-old teen were casing cars near Interstate-35 and Eighth Street. Police said the two attempted to flee in a vehicle.

Officers said the car, driven by the 16-year-old teen, hit a parked vehicle in an attempt to make a getaway. Police said the parked vehicle was knocked forward, pinning Austin Police Officer Nathan Wagner between two vehicles. Wagner opened fire, hitting the driver once in the shoulder and Carter, the passenger, four times.

Monday night’s crowd included Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, a couple of district judges and the family of Carter Jr.

The public officials were at the meeting to answer questions about the grand jury process.

Community activists wanted to know why the officer who pulled the trigger was still on the police force.

"I would like for that officer to go to prison in regards to murder because that's simply what it is," Royal Society of Civil Rights President Dr. Rick Johnson said.

All who spoke in the crowd saw Carter Jr.’s death as police abuse.

“It's hard to sit up here and talk about my nephew, but I want everybody to know he was a great kid," Carter Jr.’s aunt said.

The town hall meeting was arranged by the President of the New Black Panther Party, Anthony Walker. He asked law enforcement leaders involved in the Carter investigation to help explain the judicial process.

"I promise you, we're doing everything we can to make this process work," Travis County DA Rosemary Lehmberg said.

Lehmberg said a rare, culturally diverse grand jury is currently reviewing the Carter investigation.

"This particularly grand jury is compose of five African-Americans, three Hispanics, three Asian-Americans and one Caucasian," she said.

While there was an official presence at the forum, some were disappointed that Chief of Police Art Acevedo was not there. A spokesperson with the police department said the chief never received an invitation to the event.

"I was just wondering why the chief of police didn't show up. He has shown he is a man who can handle himself very well,” Jeff Kantoff with Texans For Accountable Government said.

Kantoff also says Chief Acevedo has to address what he calls a growing problem among the police ranks.

"It's not just blacks. It's not just Hispanics. white people are getting beat up, too,” he said.