Officer Involved In Deadly Shooting Identified
MIAMI (CBS4) -- The officer involved in a police shooting that left one person dead and another hospitalized has been identified.
According to his attorney William Matthewman, the officer's name is officer Reynaldo Goyos.
"He's a good officer assigned to the gang unit," Matthewman said. "He was only trying to protect the community and looks forward to a full and fair investigation."
According to Miami Police, the shooting took place at 11:00 pm Thursday on Miami Avenue and 75th Street during a joint operation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
During the operation, police focused in on a particular car, but after that, not even police can say what exactly happened.
"We've not yet been able to interview the officer," said Commander Delrish Moss of the Miami Police Department. "That's something that's going to come at a later point."
The shooting left family members of the victims searching for answers.
"I can't even put it into words. That's my baby brother. I'll never see him again so this is all I got left, a few pictures and some memories," said Ron Robinson, the brother of 28-year old Travis McNeil.
Family members say McNeil and his 30-year-old cousin Kareem Williams were both shot by police after they were pulled over by an unmarked police unit after they left the "Take One Lounge."
"What happened? Why is he dead and my cousin shot up? Why?" Robinson asked CBS4's Peter D'Oench.
Williams told Travis McNeil's mother what happened.
"My nephew told me said they were leaving the club -- leaving the club and got about two blocks from the club and police swarmed them. They hit the lights, they stopped. They were never given any warning about show your hands, freeze, step out of the car, the only thing that happened was gun fire," said Sheila McNeil.
Family members say they're very concerned because they have very little information from the police so far.
Kareem Williams' wife has posted comments on Facebook saying her husband's vehicle was sprayed by bullets.
"Me and my family just want to know what happened and why?" said Robinson. "It was a routine traffic stop; there was no weapon involved, no weapon found, why is he gone? He did exactly what he was supposed to do. He obeyed the law, pulled over, just like any sensible person would do, pull over when the police want you to pull over and now he's gone."
According to family, Travis died of a gunshot wound to the head. Kareem has a wound to the arm, back and abdomen, but his condition has stabilized.
Miami Police Chief Miguel Exposito issued the following statement Friday morning, "It is always unfortunate when our officers must resort to this. As is the norm, the Miami Police Department will be thoroughly investigating this police shooting along with the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office. All the facts and evidence will be submitted to the State Attorney's Office as immediately as possible so that they can make the final determination."
Exposito said in the statement that the police department would "refrain from commenting any further."
Thursday's shooting was the seventh time since January 2010 that someone has died in a police-involved shooting.
Community activists like the Reverend Jerome Starling and Reverend Anthony Tate are both outraged over the shootings.
"The chief of police and his killing squad has to go," Reverend Tate said. "We're asking for the federal government and the State attorney's office to get involved."
"The only way to stop these attacks by Police is to fire the Chief," Reverend Starling said.
Still, Nathaniel Wilcox, the executive director of PULSE, asked for the community to try and let the investigations play themselves out.
"We are asking for the community to remain calm," Wilcox said, "don't take part in any rebellion or get involved with any shooting on the streets."
Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado echoed Wilcox's sentiment and expressed his sentiments to the family.
"It's a very difficult situation for the city because we have now another incident and we have other cases still pending," Mayor Regalado said. "I'm very saddened, I understand the communities concern because people are asking for answers and my sympathies lie with the families. But this case is under review and we just don't know for a fact yet whether the two men had weapons with them."
"All of our missions are the same. Those activists want to see a better community," Moss said. "The police department wants to see a better community, and unfortunately, the nature of our jobs is that sometimes you take criticism for doing the job. Whatever steps have to be taken at the end of the day, we'll do that."
(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
