Local
State attorney clears three Sweetwater officers in March fatal shooting
Newly released body-camera footage shows officers confronting Frank Diaz during a domestic-disturbance call before opening fire. The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, after an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, found the officers’ use of deadly force justified.
Newly released body-camera footage captures the moments before and after three Sweetwater police officers fatally shot Frank Diaz during a domestic-disturbance response in March.
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office closed its investigation last week, concluding the officers were justified in using deadly force. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigated the shooting, according to the state attorney’s office.
Sweetwater officers had been sent to a 911 call about an argument between Diaz and his pregnant wife. Documents from the state attorney’s office say the caller told dispatchers Diaz had a knife.
In the footage, officers repeatedly order Diaz to drop the knife. One officer then yells, “Shoot,” and officers fire. The state attorney’s office identified the officers who discharged their weapons as Justin Statefeld, Orlando Villaverde and Francisco Garcia.
The video also shows officers beginning chest compressions after the shooting. A knife is visible on the ground near Diaz, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The release of the footage offers a public view of the encounter and the officers’ actions afterward. The state attorney’s finding concludes the criminal investigation into the officers’ use of force.