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Family of Glendale teen shot and killed by police demands answers

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Fifteen-year-old Juan Carlos Bojorquez was shot and killed in July.

Since then, Glendale Police Department released just seconds of body camera footage and conflicting accounts of what happened.

Three months after, Bojorquez's family came to Glendale City Council Chambers with a list of demands. Those demands include transparency and an independent investigation.

"My nephew is only 15," said Bojorquez's aunt Maria Martinez. "He’s gone now and my family is struggling to pick up the pieces of our broken hearts."

Martinez, Bojorquez's brother, and activists from multiple organizations spoke out before demonstrating.

"The Glendale Police Department has lied, has changed their stories multiple times, and has continued to treat the family without humanity," said Viri Hernandez with Poder in Action.

Glendale police told ABC15 back in July that undercover detectives were tracking a stolen vehicle.

Officers said the 15-year-old announced a gun was in the car when they approached, but there was a struggle as they tried to pull Bojorquez out.

"It sounds like, from my understanding, that he was out of the vehicle and they went to take him into custody, and then he was reaching into the vehicle where the gun was located," Sgt. Randy Stewart with Glendale Police Department.

But the teen’s cousin, who says he was with Bojorquez, told ABC15 a different story.

"They tried to get him right here by his neck they try to pull him out but his seatbelt was still on," said Elijah. "And the gun was still in the middle too and he didn’t touch it or anything and then, boom."

A day later, police said, "We are unsure at this time whether the suspect was ever pulled out of the car.”

Then three weeks ago, police released a critical incident briefing. That video only said they attempted to pull Bojorquez out of the car when there was a struggle.

That briefing included just a few seconds of body camera video. Police said this was captured by a canine officer who was assisting.

We're told it recorded the moments just after one officer fired but there was no audio of the actual shooting.

Family is now demanding the raw footage and phones that they claim may have video.

"That day there were witnesses that were not near but filming from different areas and police confiscated their phones," said Hernandez.

Buckeye Police Department is in charge of the investigation.

ABC15 did request police reports and raw footage, and asked about the family’s claims about cell phones. Buckeye police said they wouldn’t answer those questions, instead saying no records would be released because the investigation is not complete.