HONESDALE, PA — Michael DeGroat’s son was shot by police and killed in the driveway of his home. On December 21, 2015, troopers responded to 911 reports of a man with a gun threatening to kill himself and threatening to kill police if they came to the home in Canaan Township, according to a release from Wayne County District Attorney (DA) Janine Edwards.

Authorities said Derek DeGroat, 21, was shot and killed by troopers. He was declared dead at the scene by the coroner.

Two weeks later, his father Michael says the police and DA have not yet released a report or an autopsy. Michael and Derek’s girlfriend, Lindsey Erk, protested outside of the Wayne County Courthouse on Monday morning. They are calling for the establishment of “Derek’s Law.”

The law would call for two things: 1) A trained professional suicide-prevention counselor should be dispatched with any local, state or federal law enforcement when being dispatched for a 302 call (mental health issue). 2) Firefighting training should be a requirement before becoming a local, state or federal law enforcement officer.

Michael carried a sign stating the law, which also said, “We the people say ‘no!’ to excessive force to silence a cry for help.” Though no autopsy has been released, Michael and Erk say that the police used excessive force in the situation, and that Derek was shot multiple times. Michael said that, according to eyewitnesses, the gunfire sounded like fireworks. “They silenced a cry for help that night,” Michael said. “They did absolutely nothing to prevent that. And they used excessive force because they used more than one bullet to take him down.”

According to DA Edwards, three troopers were at the scene. Michael and Erk think that there may have been more police there, and that they may have met before going to the house and made a plan to use force. Michael said neighbors saw at least five troopers there. Also at the house that night were Derek’s mother and his sisters.

Derek graduated from Western Wayne High School in 2013. He graduated from the military institution at Fort Benning, GA later the same year. He was currently serving in the National Guard Army Reserves in Honesdale. “Derek was a good man,” Michael said, “a good soldier, a good friend, son, brother, uncle, nephew. He would do anything for you. He would take care of you before himself. I miss him.”