Posted on 05/24/2012 10:10:23 AM PDT by dennisw
It is Memorial Day weekend one year later, but four innocent bystanders wounded when Miami Beach police sprayed a car with gunfire still have no answers.
They don’t know who shot them, although they presume it was police, since officers discharged more than 100 bullets on a busy Beach street. They don’t know if anyone will ever be held accountable. They don’t know if they will ever receive compensation — or even help with their steep medical bills.
Now, one of those wounded victims has sued the city of Miami Beach for negligence, while four others have joined together to file a public-records lawsuit demanding ballistics results and other key evidence. That second lawsuit, which is expected to be filed Thursday, accuses the agencies involved of deliberately withholding the records in an effort to cover up responsibility.
The plaintiffs, all of whom say they sustained permanent injuries, ultimately want compensation for their medical bills, pain and suffering.
But with the investigation into the incident still pending a year later, they are no closer to learning who shot them or why officers felt compelled to discharge over 115 bullets in a single confrontation during Urban Beach Week, the annual hip-hop-fuled gathering that returns to Miami Beach this weekend.
Sarah Garcia, 25, was shot twice in the chaos last year, which was sparked when a squadron of police officers, some of them with fully automatic weapons, shot and killed a suspect they believed was armed and dangerous.
Garcia, who lives in Naples, had made the three-hour drive with friends, and had arrived in Miami Beach just a short time before the shooting began about 4 a.m. on May 30. She and her friends were strolling and taking in the scene.
“I heard a bunch of gunshots go off and everybody was running and screaming,” she said. “I got down on the ground and covered my head and then realized I was shot in my leg and my arm. I think I was in a state of shock.’’
Both bullets tore through her limbs and doctors had to insert plates and screws into her arm. Garcia, a patient liaison at Naples Community Hospital, had to use a wheelchair for three months and has not been able to work since.
Ahh. Thanks for the clarification.
They used to come to Daytona every year and pull this same crap. Then they moved it to Miami.
Nothing’s changed except the venue.
Sounds like a hiphop group.
I ,just watched a home video on YouTube of the shooting. The guy filming said the driver of the car had been shooting a gun from inside the car. When police approached the car, all hell broke loose. All shots were fired in a matter of about three seconds.
Major problem was they never found a gun in the car.
Police claimed to have found a Beretta 92FS in the car.
One of the controversies is that they found the gun three days after the shootings.
Was a gun found on any of these four people? Were they seen to be a threat to police? No
I never said anything other than the police claimed they found a gun in the car.
All indications I have seen is the bystanders shot were innocent of any crime.
Witnesses have said 4 gunshots came from inside the car shortly before the cops opened fire with 115 gunshots.
Police claim the 92FS was found “hidden” on the floorboard of the car three days later.
Didnt mean to imply you did say that.
I don’t think the shoot was legit, having a firearm is not reason for summary execution. The video clearly shows he was stopped. Some nervous cop pulled the trigger and the rest of them let loose without regard for the people around the area.
In my city bank robbers opened on a policeman in his patrol car with a full auto AK-47. The police did not return fire. They cornered the perps and actually let them steal a car and then followed them out of town. The State Police took them down with a roadblock and spike strips.
When questioned why they did not return fire when they had the perps cornered, the police said their job was to protect citizens and a two way gunfight in the city was not the best way to do that.
No one was hurt and all perps are in jail.
Extremely good police work, and very different from this story.
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