MIAMI (WSVN) - The NAACP is demanding the arrest of a Miami Police officer who was cleared in the shooting death of a driver.
A spokesperson for the Miami-Dade Branch of the NAACP and the attorney representing the family of the driver spoke with 7News about the matter on Thursday. They said they want the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office to reexamine their findings regarding the March 2022 incident that claimed the life of 34-year-old Antwon Cooper.
“We were all surprised and disappointed in the way that this investigation was handled,” said Trelvis Randolph, General Counsel of the Miami-Dade Branch of NAACP.
“If the elected Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office won’t do anything, where else do we go to obtain justice?” said Rawsi Williams, the attorney representing Cooper’s family.
The NAACP has reached out to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office a week after Cooper’s family filed a wrongful death civil rights lawsuit against Miami Police Sgt. Constant Rosemond and the city of Miami.
“We’re calling on the state attorney’s office to do their job. Stop being afraid to arrest these officers who are killing these unarmed men,” said Williams.
Cooper was pulled over near Miami Northwestern High School because, police said, he had been speeding and had illegally tinted windows.
During the stop, Cooper was told to get out of the car after, officers said, he failed to produce a valid driver’s license.
Investigators said an officer patted Cooper down and spotted a gun. At that point, police said, Cooper tried to take off but was tackled and held until Rosemond opened fire.
Police said Rosemond’s single shot hit Cooper in the head, killing him.
Detectives said a gun was found on the ground about 15 feet away.
Williams said the officers crossed a line.
“When Sgt. Rosemond used lethal force as his first level of force to shoot Antwon Cooper in the head, killing that umnarmed man, there was no justification for his use of lethal force,” she said.
“We expect more from the investigation of a police encounter that ends with a use of deadly force,” said Randolph.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office acknowledged they met with the NAACP to discuss their concerns, adding that Rosemond was exonerated in January because his actions were determined to be “reasonable and legally justified.”
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