CBS4 Exclusive: Charges Dropped Against Cutler Bay Mom Pulled From Car
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A Cutler Bay mother caught on camera getting into a heated exchange with a Miami-Dade Police officer outside of her daughter's elementary school has had all her charges dropped.
"Just relief and I'm happy that we can kind of start rebuilding and move forward from this," said Rita Guzman.
It was in early October when Guzman went to pick her daughter up from school at Whigham Elementary in Cutler Bay.
She was parked in a no parking zone and when an officer asked her to move.
Guzman spent the night in jail.
She said weeks after the incident she's traumatized and continues to heal from her injuries.
"I have inflammation so they're giving me steroid shots for that and that's why they were talking about surgery if the inflammation doesn't go away. And I also still have inflammation in my left wrist," she explained.
In a memo regarding the case, the state attorney's office wrote:
"After reviewing all the evidence, a jury would likely find that the force that was used by this Officer, and the injuries sustained, were beyond that necessary for this type of offense (a parking infraction)."
Guzman's attorney is pleased the criminal charges against his client have been dropped, but plans to sue those he believes should be held accountable.
"Rita's been injured both physically and emotionally," said Guzman's attorney, Lonnie Richardson. "What we see on video when that officer drags her out of the car like an animal, you realize, you don't have to look any further. It was excessive force."
As for Guzman, she said what she'd like to see most is to have that officer fired.
"I see him two, three times a week. It makes my stomach hurt," Guzman said. "I just don't understand why he's still working, let alone in the same school. I would like to see this officer off the streets and without a badge."
