Black Lives Matter To Rally After Officer's Indictment
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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) -- The Black Lives Matter Alliance in Broward County announced a press conference Monday in response to the indictment of a Broward Sheriff's deputy charged with manslaughter in the deadly shooting of a man with an air rifle.
An attorney for the victim's mother is expected to announce a civil suit against the deputy, as well as Sheriff Scott Israel and Broward County.
On Friday, a grand jury indicted Deputy Peter Peraza for the 2013 death of 33-year-old Jermaine McBean. 911 callers reported McBean openly carrying what appeared to be a real rifle down a busy Oakland Park street.
When officers arrived, they said McBean ignored their demands to drop the rifle before Dep. Paraza opened fire.
McBean's family said his headphones prevented him from hearing the officers' requests.
Peraza's attorney said his client did nothing wrong.
"He gets a call, a man with a rifle. Whether or not that rifle is real, what matters to the deputy is perception and that is Florida law," said attorney Eric Schwartzreich.
Representatives of the victim's family are satisfied with the indictment but said it's only the first step.
"There is still a lot more needs to be done here. It's just an indictment. We would like to see justice brought to the McBean family," said Jesse Cosme of the Black Lives Matter Alliance Broward.
The McBean family's attorney said the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the shooting.