CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va -- Charles Byers, known as Charlie to those who knew him, was laid to rest on Friday and remembered by family members as special, thoughtful, and brilliant.
The family also acknowledged Byers, who was shot and killed by Chesterfield Police as he was said to be in 'crisis,' faced challenges with his mental health, which played a role in what his father considered to be his "last troubled days."
“His candle did not burn long, but it burned intensely, and I will always cherish the short time we got to be in his light," Byers' father Michael Byers said.
A funeral mass was held for the 34-year-old at St. Edward Catholic Church, and during the service, loved ones remembered Byers as a seeker of truth, a great listener, and a friend who showed respect toward others.
“We all know he’s brilliant, kind, warm, loving," his uncle said.
“Charlie loved love. To Charlie, love was what bound the universe together," his father said.
Family members said Byers embraced nature and enjoyed connecting with the outdoors.
He loved music and was passionate about the injustices facing humanity, they said.
“He had a great burden for and interest in the marginalized of this world and outsiders in general. He loved to talk to people with interesting life stories," Michael Byers said about his son.
Speakers also addressed Byers' battle with mental illness.
"Charlie was private, independent, self-reliant and I suspect much and deeply aware of the torments that he faced. He was a fighter," the priest said, adding that Byers' parents stood by him through the years when "mental illness and anxiety reared its very ugly head."
“He knew he had problems, and we talked a lot. There were a few nights that were rough, scary... but he kept going," Byers' uncle said.
On the afternoon of July 8, Chesterfield Police said they received reports that Byers was trying to break into homes on Wycliff Court.
When officers responded, they said Byers was carrying a hatchet.
Police said Byers did not comply with officers' commands to drop the weapon and approached them.
When an attempt to use a Taser did not work, officers used deadly force.
But just days before the shooting, on July 6, Byers was receiving emergency mental health care at Chippenham Hospital's Tucker Pavilion under a temporary detention order (TDO).
Though the TDO was served on July 6, his family had taken him to Chippenham the day before for mental health treatment, according to police.
However, three hours after Byers had been delivered to the psychiatric facility under the TDO, Byers was arrested and removed from the hospital by Richmond Police for allegedly assaulting a healthcare worker-- an assault that involved no injuries and no weapons, according to the incident report.
Byers was then taken to the city jail and went before a magistrate, who released Byers on his own recognizance around 10 p.m. on July 6.
Less than 48 hours later was when Byers died following his confrontation with Chesterfield Police.
His death raised concerns from law enforcement leaders about failures in the mental health system and also raised questions from a lawmaker about how police interact with people who are mentally ill.
“That's an individual who's in crisis, but that is a byproduct or a manifestation of a failed system," said Chesterfield Police Chief Jeffrey Katz in a previous interview, who added that a lack of the mental health system's capacity and preventative resources are not keeping up the rates of people in need of help.
"It just happens way too frequently that people in mental health crisis end up dead, and their main crime is that they have mental illness," said Sen. Creigh Deeds (D-Charlottesville), who added that this incident calls for scrutiny of the behaviors of police officers and more crisis intervention training.
As investigations continue into why Byers was arrested and removed from the hospital and into the shooting itself, his family was left with this conclusion, as stated by the priest: "Sometimes, mental illness wins."
They said they believed Byers is "finally in peace."
“Please say a prayer for Charlie’s peaceful repose and for all those who struggle with mental illness and for those who provide vital services for them," his father said.
Depend on CBS 6 News and WTVR.com for in-depth coverage of this important local story. Anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
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