Rookie Cop Shoots and Kills Innocent Man During Routine Traffic Stop

Officer's Actions Under Review After Shooting
CBS 4
Jul. 06, 2010

The actions of a rookie Miami police officer are under review after he shot and killed a man during a traffic stop.

According to Miami police spokesman Detective Willie Moreno the officer pulled a man over near Northwest 3rd Avenue and 17th Street just before 1 p.m. Monday afternoon.

Family and friends identified the man as 36-year-old Decarlos Moore and describe him as a good man. Mayor Tomas Regalado explained what happened during the incident.

"There was a traffic stop. And two police officers. One rookie, one veteran police officers. They got out of the car. We understand that the driver went back to the car and this is when the shooting took place," said Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado.

At some point during their exchange the driver of the car reportedly reached for something. Feeling his safety was threatened, the officer pulled his gun and shot the man, his round striking the driver in the head.

Miami police Det. Willie Moreno issued this statement Monday afternoon: "It is unknown what caused the officer to discharge his firearm fatally striking the driver who had stepped outside of the vehicle."

Family members say Moore was likely reaching for registration or insurance papers.

"Shot him right in the back of his head. No gun no nothing. That's messed up," said Thomas Williams, a witness told CBS4's David Sutta.

The man was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital where he died.

Police said the man was not armed and did not have any firearms in the vehicle.

"He got out of the car the police told him to get back in the car," said Katrina Moore, Thomas's sister. "What reason I don't know. When he got back in. They shot him in the head here and it went out from the back. He was a good person. He loved life. He loved life."

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