A police officer named Jose Velez in Orlando, FL, shot Derek Diaz, 26, who was sitting in a car minding his own business.
The family and loved ones of Derek Diaz, who was fatally shot by police in Orlando, Florida, last week, are frustrated by viewing body-worn camera footage of the encounter. The footage only raises more questions and offers little closure.
An officer approached Diaz in his parked car and asked him to place his hands on the steering wheel. Shortly thereafter, Diaz extended his right hand toward the center console and a shot was fired. The entire encounter lasted less than a minute.
Police rendered aid to Diaz, but he was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The footage was shown to the family, but they received few answers to their questions. They cannot understand why the police approached Diaz in the first place.
According to the family, Diaz was sitting peacefully in his car when he was attacked by several armed police officers and shot within minutes. They stress that he was unarmed and had no weapon in his vehicle.
Police allege that after being shot, Diaz threw an object out the window that was later identified as a narcotic. The Orlando Police Department states that it is proactive against narcotics and crime weapons, and there have been 431 incidents reported near the incident scene in the last 18 months.
Diaz’s family remains disappointed and is demanding answers to their most pressing questions. Authorities are conducting an investigation that includes camera footage as well as witness statements. Names of the officers involved have not been released.
The family and their attorney want to ensure the integrity of the investigative process to ensure a fair and transparent presentation of the facts. Police are cooperating with an investigation into the incident by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and are also conducting an internal investigation. It remains to be seen if the family will get the answers they so desperately seek.
