Galveston family eyes lawsuit after fatal police shooting footage released
The family of Randy Martin, shot dead by a Galveston officer in May, is considering legal action after body and dash-cam footage was released by court order.
Family of man killed in Galveston traffic stop pursues legal action after video release
The family of Randy Martin, 47, is considering a civil lawsuit against the City of Galveston following the court-ordered release of body camera and in-car footage from the officer-involved shooting that killed him last spring, houstonpublicmedia.org reports.
Family attorney Adalberto Ruiz said a court ordered the city to hand over unredacted dash- and body-camera recordings to his office on Thursday. Ruiz stated his team will review the material and identify what causes of action they have against the city.
"We intend to prove that the officers' actions were excessive, unnecessary and negligent beyond the pale of normal officer conduct and that the City of Galveston must be held accountable," Ruiz said.
The shooting took place on the afternoon of 18 May during a routine traffic stop in Galveston. Body camera footage showed Officer Joshua Nino De Guzman approaching Martin's vehicle and requesting his licence and insurance. After checking the documents, De Guzman asked Martin to exit the car, telling him he had been stopped for failing to stop at stop signs and that he wanted to confirm Martin was not carrying a firearm.
The footage then showed the two men entering a physical struggle, after which De Guzman fired his weapon at Martin eight times. According to the Galveston County Daily News, De Guzman told investigators he believed Martin was reaching for a gun during the struggle and feared for his life. The Texas Rangers report listed no evidence of a firearm belonging to Martin.
A grand jury recently declined to take action against De Guzman.
Paula Martin Lynch, Randy Martin's mother, described watching the newly released in-car footage for the first time.
"I was sitting in that chair trying to be strong. I've been strong through this whole thing, but to watch that happen with no regards for life was heartbreaking," Lynch said.
Ruiz noted the city has five days to provide his office with the full unredacted recordings. He added a broader warning about police accountability.
"We cannot continue to embolden these officers by not punishing them, by not holding them accountable and by not terminating them from law enforcement when they do these types of heinous acts," Ruiz said.
The Galveston Police Department did not respond to a request for comment.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)