Family says Miami-Dade deputies did not identify themselves before killing man – NBC 6 South Florida

The family of a man shot and killed by a Miami-Dade deputy during an attempted traffic stop for illegal window tints will say their final goodbyes on Monday, as they continue to ask the sheriff’s office to answer their questions about what exactly happened.

The sheriff’s office said it all started when deputies with their Robbery Interventions Detail team tried to conduct a traffic stop near Northwest 62nd Street and 22nd Avenue after noticing a yellow Corvette that had illegal dark tints.

Officials said the driver in the Corvette, 24-year-old Kristofer Lazaro Laboy, didn’t stop, but instead sped off.

The car ended up at a dead-end of an apartment complex on Northwest 85th Street and Northwest 4th Court, where officials said Laboy got out and approached deputies while armed, leading a deputy to open fire, killing Laboy.

…If he had known that it was a police car chasing him, [with] his concealed license to carry on him, that would’ve been no reason to flee, no reason to run.

Girlfriend of Kristofer Laboy

The family reiterated at a viewing for Laboy on Sunday that they do not believe deputies ever identified themselves.

“Kristofer would have never did nothing like that, and if he had known that it was a police car chasing him, [with] his concealed license to carry on him, that would’ve been no reason to flee, no reason to run,” his girlfriend said.

The family said Laboy was a good young man and college graduate who would have stopped for the deputies if they had identified themselves. Instead they say he was confused and scared, since video appears to show that he was being pursued by at least one unmarked car.

Laboy’s family said previously that he called his father, because he was worried he was being followed that night.

“Kristofer called his father, our brother, in fear for his life, that he was being followed, and to come help him,” aunt Maria Elena Laboy said last week.

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office also said it was unclear if the deputy saw Laboy draw his weapon.

Authorities have identified the man who was shot and killed by a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s deputy after officials said he sped off from a traffic stop on Tuesday.

However, the South Florida Police Benevolent Association said in a statement last week that Laboy ignored commands, didn’t drop his weapon and that the deputy feared for his life.

Meanwhile, the family said they have video of the shooting that paints a different picture and shows the alleged injustice.

“This officer comes running from the complex, from out of nowhere, no commands, nothing, just gets on top of the car and starts shooting,” an uncle, Anthony Haygood, said last week.

The sheriff’s office identified the deputy involved as Kelvin Cox, who has 23 years with the office.

Records show it’s at least the third fatal shooting involving Cox.

Family Photos

Family Photos

In September of 2010, while searching for a robbery suspect, he killed a man who tried to run from a house in northwest Miami-Dade. Five years later, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office declined to seek charges in the shooting.

In 2011, Cox shot and killed Jamal Singletary, a stolen car suspect who allegedly opened fire on officers. That was also found to be a justifiable use of force.

Cox was placed on paid administrative leave, a common practice in law enforcement shootings. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating Tuesday’s incident, which is also standard practice in police shootings.

As for Laboy’s family, they have started their own social media page to gather more evidence and video from community members who can help piece together what happened.

“We’re not doing it only for him. We’re doing it for anybody else who didn’t have a family as big as us, who didn’t have a voice as big as us, who wasn’t able to fight for their family member,” another family member said at his viewing. “The fact that we’re about to bury him in a few hours—we don’t wanna bring a stop to this. We want it to keep going forward. We don’t want anyone to forget. It’s hurting us right now, but guess what, we have to be his voice.”