MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The attorney for Tyre Nichols' family has said the handling of his death investigation should be "a blueprint going forward" for police across the country.

But the mother of a man killed by Memphis Police just weeks before Nichols is still looking for answers.

FOX13 reported in December about an officer-involved shooting that took the life of 20-year-old Jaylin McKenzie.

His mother is still demanding for answers after investigators said a police officer shot and killed her son after a traffic stop.

“He was a lover, and a protector," said his mother, Ashley McKenzie-Smith. "He loved being with his family and friends."

She said the 20-year-old had a passion for music.

He came to Memphis from Atlanta to visit his father in December.

Nine days before Christmas, a police officer shot and killed him during a traffic stop.

“We need closure and want to know what happened,” said Smith.

McKenzie-Smith was heartbroken when she found out the news.

“To know that my son was killed and he wasn’t even from Memphis," she said. "Just killed at a traffic stop."

Memphis Police said just before midnight Dec. 16, officers pulled over a car at American Way and Goodlet because it looked “suspicious.”

Police said the car sped off and crashed into a nearby park.

They said four people wearing all black ran off.

A chase led them to the 4700 block of Cochese, where, police said, a suspect fired shots at the officers.

An officer returned fire, killing McKenzie, police said.

“We don’t know anything," McKenzie-Smith said. "We don’t know why the car was pulled over, why they said the car was suspicious or anything."

From the Memphis Police Department to the medical examiner’s office to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Smith said she’s been scrambling for nearly three months to find more information about her son’s last moments.

With no body cam footage or police report, Smith said hiring an attorney was her best option.

“Protect and serve. Not harm and cover up. So, if we have a situation where this young man was harmed and the truth is not being revealed, we have to change that narrative. We are operating as Jaylin being a victim,” said Andre Wharton, the family's attorney.

FOX13 reached out to Memphis Police and TBI for an update.

MPD did not respond, while TBI said the investigation was ongoing.