A phone call from a man who died in a shooting incident at an Ohio Wal-Mart has been haunting the dreams of the victim's father ever since the tragedy.

John Crawford, Jr. has been repeatedly reliving the day he heard his 22-year-old son's dying moments after getting shot by police at an Ohio Wal-Mart. In a telephone interview with The Cincinnati Enquirer, the grieving father shared how he literally heard his own son takes his last breath.

Like Us on Facebook

Crawford, Jr., who is from Jackson, Tennessee, stated that John Crawford III, his son, was shot on August 5 in a Wal-Mart branch in Dayton, Ohio. An alarmed caller alerted officials on the presence of a supposedly armed man, who was waving a 'weapon' at other shoppers in the area. Upon arriving at the scene, the responding officers allegedly shot at the younger Crawford, believing that the victim was carrying a dangerous 'weapon'. Investigations later revealed that the 'weapon' was an air rifle.

On the day of the shooting incident, the older Crawford shared that he was in Ohio as well. He visited the place in the hopes of seeing his son, but found to be absent from his Fairfield residence. Upon arriving at his son's home, he shared that Crawford III's two young children and their mother were talking to him on her cellphone. The family informed Crawford Jr. that his son was in Wal-Mart shopping. However, the victim's father was stunned to hear his grandchildren's mother screaming while still on the phone. She said she heard gun shots fired in the background, then placed the call on speaker.

"You could hear in the background he was gasping," Crawford Jr. said. "I'm virtually listening to my kid taking his last breath," he described further.

Police records show that the responding officers claimed the victim's stubbornness during their encounter. Crawford III allegedly refused to put down the 'weapon' despite several warnings and please from the officers. However, a surveillance video footage of the incident showed Crawford III merely clutching the air rifle and talking on his mobile phone. The Crawford family and their lawyers sought for the release of the store video to the public. However, the request was denied. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine clarified that the refusal to release the footage was rooted on the fact that the investigation is ongoing.

At present, Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor Mark Piepmeier is tasked to supervise the investigation as special prosecutor. He is set to present evidence at a Greene County grand jury this month. In addition to the criminal case, the Crawford family and their lawyer have sought the assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Office to determine whether any civil right was violated. To date, Crawford Jr. has yet to be informed which of the two responding officers fatally shot his son.

TagsWalmart, John Crawford Jr., John Crawford III, Tennessee, Jackson, Dayton, Ohio, shooting, air rifle, Mike DeWine, Mark Piepmeier, Greene County