Attorneys: Man Unjustly Shot By Undercover Officers
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Two well-known civil rights attorneys say their client was unjustly shot by undercover Miami-Dade police officers.
Francisco Perez is shackled to his bed at Jackson Memorial Hospital as he recovers from a gunshot wound.
Perez, who has been in the county for eight months from Cuba, is being represented by Judd and Brett Rosen.
"He was unarmed. He was approached by police officers who were in an unmarked car, not wearing uniforms, all wearing plain clothes. They did not give him any opportunity to respond and they shot him in the streets of our community," Judd Rosen said.
Miami-Dade police said undercover cops observed suspicious behavior in the area NW 27th Ave. and 90th St. on Monday night.
Perez had reportedly been hailed by a woman. He stopped and picked her up, but another car lingered nearby.
The cops said they suspected a robbery so they pulled up to Perez's car.
But according to Miami-Dade police spokesperson Jennifer Capote, "The vehicle refused to stop. The driver was making abrupt movements inside the vehicle as if he was reaching for something."
Police said Perez moved the car, striking one officer on the leg. The officers determined there was cause to fear for their safety and opened fire.
The Rosen brothers aren't buying it.
"It is a complete falsehood that this gentleman was reaching for anything. He was unarmed and not reaching for anything," Judd Rosen said.
