ORLANDO, Fla. – Attorney Ben Crump announced that he will be representing the family of Derek Diaz, who was shot and killed by an Orlando police officer early Monday morning.
The announcement comes as Diaz’s family continues to mourn. News 6 spoke with Sonja Nava, the mother of Diaz’s five-year-old daughter, and she said they are all still in shock.
Nava said they are still in the dark when it comes to what happened during the officer-involved shooting that police said killed Diaz.
Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said an officer shot and killed Diaz in a car early Monday near Jefferson Street and Orange Avenue. Chief Smith said Diaz disobeyed the officer’s commands and made a move as if to retrieve a gun.
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He called the area a hot spot for criminal activity, where a number of guns have been seized.
Chief Smith said there was probable cause to suspect Diaz was involved in drug activity.
News 6 asked police what drugs were found on Diaz at the time of the shooting and how many guns have been seized in the area in the past six months, along with how many cases there have been involving drugs seized within the same time period.
However, police have not yet answered those questions.
News 6′s Jerry Askin sat down with Chief Smith Tuesday to talk about security at the fireworks show at Lake Eola, but Askin was told that Smith would not take any questions about this investigation.
At a press conference Monday, Chief Smith said there is body camera video of the shooting and that it will be made public in the coming days.
News 6 has asked for that video again, but it has not yet been released.
The officer involved in the shooting is on paid administrative leave while the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigates.
Crump released the following statement on Wednesday regarding the shooting.
It is heartbreaking for Derek’s family and his little girl to go through this traumatizing loss without much detail or explanation. The most respectful way for the Orlando Police Department to respond to this tragedy is with proactivity, and ultimately, transparency when communicating with the family and the Orlando community. We have been told that footage of Derek’s deadly encounter with police will be available to the public within 30 days, but his family is owed that closure immediately.
Attorney Ben Crump
To donate to the family’s GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses, click here.
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