Family Of Man Tased To Death By Coconut Creek Police File Lawsuit vs. City, Cops
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
COCONUT CREEK (CBSMiami) – The parents of a man who died after being beaten and tased by several Coconut Creek Police officers earlier this year have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Coconut Creek and four of its police officers.
Mamie and Calvin Reid say their son, Calvon Andre Reid, died after four of the city's police officers of beat and repeatedly tased the 39-year-old father of two to death last February.
"There has to be some accountability," said Mamie Reid.
Mamie Reid says she and her husband filed the lawsuit because they believe that their unarmed son was not threatening anyone on the night of February 22nd at the Wynmoor Village condos and that he simply asked for medical help. Instead, when police arrived after a 911 call she believes the officers treated him so violently because of his color.
"We feel that he was treated in that manner because of his race, because he was a black young man," she said.
Witnesses said they heard Reid scream for help and that he died while bound saying that he couldn't breathe. The Medical Examiner's Office ruled his death a homicide from complications of an electro-muscular disruption device, or Taser.
"They killed Andre Reid and then they went and they told the public that he was the one doing something wrong and that was simply not true," said Jarrett Blakeley, the family's attorney.
Blakeley said three of the four officers who dealt with the Reid on the night of his death were not current on their Taser certifications in violation of state law.
"The recommendations say do not shoot people with these simultaneously," he told CBS4's Carey Codd. "Do not shoot them in the chest. And they're doing all these things wrong and they're doing them wrong at the same time."
Mamie Reid said she wants to see the officers involved criminally charged and convicted. Meanwhile, she and her family continue to mourn Andre's death.
"In two weeks we will celebrate Andre's birthday and as that time approaches it's very sad for us," she said.
A spokesperson for the city of Coconut Creek told CBS4 News that they have not yet been served with this lawsuit so they cannot comment on it. The police department cleared each of the officers of any wrongdoing and they are all back on the force and police said Reid was violent and agitated when the encountered him.
The Broward State Attorney's office says they continue to investigate this case and they expect it will be presented to a grand jury for possible criminal charges against the officers.