The Collier County Sheriff and three law enforcement officers with the department are being sued in federal court in Fort Myers. The suit accuses the officers of acting unlawfully in the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Nicolas Morales-Bessannia, and accuses Collier Sheriff Kevin Rambosk of allowing abuse and violence by his officers.
The CCSO said it stands by the findings of its Professional Responsibility Bureau and the State Attorney's Office. Both concluded the shooting of Morales was justified.
Attorneys for the Morales family are not asking for specific damage amounts. Attorney Chris Lomax said no amount of money would make up for the injustice that's been done.
Officers responded to Immokalee the night of September 17, 2020. Reviews by the Collier County Sheriff's Office Professional Responsibility Bureau and by the State Attorney's Office concluded officers acted reasonably in shooting Morales.
The officers claimed Morales was holding a silvery object in one hand, and they feared it was a revolver or knife.
Retired judge Hugh Starnes came to the courthouse to support the lawsuit filing.
"I respect that officers have to make quick decisions," Starnes said. "I am respectful of that, but to be fair, in hindsight, this seems to be a case in which a man did not have to die. He didn't have a firearm or a knife."
The shooting victim's son, 13-year-old Nicolas Morales, Jr., attended the news conference to announce the suit filing.
"I miss my dad. I know he's watching down from heaven and he's proud of what I am doing," said Morales, Jr. "I am doing this for justice and for others who are going through a situation such as mine."
The Collier County Sheriff's Office is not commenting on the suit. It names officers Pierre Jean, Nathan Kirk and Brian Tarazona as defendants.
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