ORLANDO, Fla. – During a vigil Sunday night in downtown Orlando, the family of 26-year-old Derek Diaz left flowers and candles to remember their son, father, brother and friend, who was shot in last week by an Orlando police officer. .
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“I lost my best friend, my brother and that’s not good at all,” said Derek Diaz’s brother.
Emotions fill the hearts of Derek Diaz’s loved ones as they gather at the scene of the tragedy.
Last Sunday at the corner of Jefferson Street and Orange Avenue, officers were conducting proactive patrols in an area known for drug activity on June 3, according to police.
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Officers approached Diaz, believing he was involved in drug-related activity inside a car, and police say officers shot Diaz because he made a motion for what they believed to be a weapon.
Investigations did find drugs on Diaz, but no weapons were recovered.
Diaz died at the hospital.
Read: Deputies ask for public’s help in Orlando shooting death investigation
Now, his family is calling for transparency and closure, and is asking for the body cam video to be released.
“I want to know what happened. We have the right to know,” said Yaneri Díaz Rodríguez, Díaz’s mother.
“The family doesn’t know anything beyond that. It’s heartbreaking,” said attorney Benjamin Crump. “Our principles are liberty and justice for all. That means justice for Derek Diaz, too. That’s why we need to watch the video.”
The Orlando Police Department plans to release video within 30 days of an officer-involved shooting, according to department policy.
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