Civil suit filed after prosecutors drop case in Wynwood police shooting

A family is pursuing a civil lawsuit after state prosecutors decided not to charge the police officers who shot a 28-year-old woman in Miami.

The incident occurred in June outside a club in the Wynwood neighborhood. The victim, Valdez, was sitting in a nearby SUV celebrating her birthday when officers opened fire during a confrontation. A fight had spilled into the street involving an armed man. Officers shot and killed both the suspect and Valdez.

The State Attorney's Office issued a closeout memo clearing the Miami police officers of criminal wrongdoing. The family's attorney, Ray Rasco, said the decision was disappointing but not surprising. Rasco stated that new evidence prompted the filing of an amended civil complaint.

Rasco argued that officers failed to de-escalate the situation before opening fire. He noted that while prosecutors claimed the officers gave a command, no such command is audible on the bodycam video. Rasco said the officers could have used a taser. He added that they began shooting without asking questions or making statements.

The amended complaint includes additional bodycam footage, witness statements, and new details about the shooting. The goal is to hold the officers accountable through civil court. The document builds on the original claim by incorporating the recently released video evidence.

Kristy Garcia, Valdez's mother, said the decision not to pursue criminal charges has compounded her grief. She questioned the justification that officers fired because they were scared for their lives and the lives of civilians. Garcia pointed out that her daughter was also a civilian. She stated that the officers killed her, not the suspect.

Garcia added that the system and the government have failed the family. She said the outcome will not be the end of her daughter's story.