SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - It’s been over a month since the day that a man and his family in Southwest Miami-Dade won’t ever forget. Now, they’re taking legal action against a police department.
“More than anybody, I want answers because it was my life, I was the one facing the barrel of the gun,” said the victim.
On Sept. 20, 7News broke the story of a man who said he’d just pulled into his complex from work when he realized he was being followed by an unmarked police SUV — and before he knew it, he said he was held at gunpoint and had his life threatened by an officer.
He then sped off at the sight of the video-taking wife, of the man who was just pulled over.
“It’s just not fair that a police officer threatens to take somebody’s life,” said the victim’s wife.
Cohen has put Miami-Dade Police on notice.
“My clients were terrified,” said Brandon Cohen, the family’s attorney. “We have every intention of filing a civil suit against the police department unless someone reaches down from the heavens and tells me why this individual pulled a weapon, a firearm on my client, and threatened to blow his brains out.”
The department said the incident’s been under an internal affairs investigation.
“It was quite shocking to know if he would pull someone over without any kind of probable cause, pull somebody, a firearm, threaten to shoot them,” said Cohen. “My client, who is fearful of being shot by an officer, who is totally off the rails.”
Days after the story aired, the MDPD confirmed that veteran officer Matt Larsh was the man behind the wheel in a video provided by the family.
“One of the most unusual things about this case is that he retreated,” said the attorney. “That he would go back into his car, put his gun away…
Cohen pointed out some strange things he noticed in the video.
“No backup showed up… and the way he backed up he didn’t say a word, it was awkward as it is,” he said. “It screams that there was a mistake made and the mistake was made by the Miami-Dade Police Department.”
Patrols and detectives responded to the family’s call for help following their bizarre encounter that day.
“It is a very easy case to investigate, it is very easy to get back to the individual,” said the lawyer. “Who is the victim in the case? Who is my client and they just have not done that.”
7 News reached out on Monday for an update on the investigation and they said “The matter is still an active IA investigation.”
“We really want to get to the bottom of this and have some answers,” said the victim’s wife.
No charges have been filed yet.
The victim and father said they’d never seen the police officer before until the encounter in the parking lot of his home.
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