By Michelle Richardson, Special to the AFRO

A family is left looking for answers after a man is killed after a Barricade that lasted hours with Baltimore Police the morning of March 25.

The Baltimore Sun is reporting that no gun was recovered from the scene where Baltimore police fired at a man officers believed was armed.

Kevin Bruce Mason, 57, was found dead in a home in Northwest Baltimore after officers returned shots at him during an hours long standoff.

Kevin Bruce Mason (Courtesy Photo)

On March 27 the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) identified the officer who fired shots at Mason, as John Johnson, a 25-year veteran of the department.When officers arrived, they encountered Mason, who was outside of the home and believed to be holding a gun, according to police.

Mason, who allegedly threatened to kill the officers if they came any closer, went back into the home and didn’t reappear until after midnight, on March 25.

“When he exited the rear of the home for the second time, one of the officers fired in that direction. then retreated back into the home,” said Baltimore Police Chief Michael Harrison at a press conference held that afternoon.

Hours later, an unidentified woman, exited the house and told police that Mason was inside sleeping.

“He never had a gun,” said Renee Greene Mason’s girlfriend of 18 years.

Greene, who was allegedly asleep during most of the standoff, told police that she awoke and found Mason on the bathroom floor.

“That’s all I know,” she said.

When police entered the home, Mason was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene bringing the barricade to an end at 7:40 a.m.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine Mason’s cause of death.

The Baltimore Police Department does not have a policy regarding when and if body camera footage should be released, but is working to get one in place according to Harrison.

The commissioner said he is still undecided on whether to release body camera footage of the barricade situation that ended with Mason’s death publicly.

“We will make a determination in the very near future,” he said. “I think in the best interest in accountability and transparency, will drive that decision. I believe in being accountable to our community and to our department. I believe in transparency to our community.”

“This is why people have a problem with the Baltimore city police department because are not being transparent,” said Kimberly Mason, the sister of Kevin Mason, to the Baltimore Sun. She said she has reached out to the commissioner’s office for answers but the family has not heard back.

Johnson has been put on administrative leave per department protocol, which includes an investigation by the State’s Attorney’s Office.

No officers were injured in the incident.

This is not Kevin Mason’s first brush with the law as; he was involved in another shootout with police in 1980.

According to online reports in February of 1980, Mason, who was 17-years-old at the time, wounded an officer when he exchanged gunfire after an officer approached him.

According to reports when the officer approached Mason, he struck the officer in the head with a radio and then drew a handgun and began firing.

The officer, who was not named, was struck in the chest, side, and arm. Mason was critically injured when the officer shot him in the neck, chest, and stomach.

Kimberly Mason said her brother served time for that incident.