Derek Diaz Shooting Video Sparks Outrage as Orlando Police Under Pressure

The family of a man shot dead by Orlando police are outraged after viewing bodycam footage from the shooting.

Derek Diaz, 26, was shot while sitting in his parked car near Jefferson Street and North Orange Street in the early hours of July 3, the Orlando Police Department said.

Diaz was shot within a minute of being approached by three officers, according to the footage released by the department on Wednesday.

The footage shows one officer approaching Diaz from the driver's side of the car.

Diaz is seen complying with the officers' commands, including to place his hands on the steering wheel. Then, as the officer opens the car door, he appears to reach his right hand toward the vehicle's center console. The officer appears to fire a single gunshot, before moving away from the vehicle.

"Are you guys good? Did you guys shoot?" an officer can be heard saying.

"Yeah, I did," one officer replies.

Police said officers rendered aid until first responders arrived and transported Diaz to hospital, where he died.

Natalie Jackson, an attorney representing Diaz's family, told reporters that watching the footage left the family with "more questions than answers."

They want to know exactly why police initially approached Diaz, Jackson said during a news conference.

The video shows Diaz was unarmed and "sitting peacefully in a legally parked car when he was aggressively approached by three armed police officers," Jackson said. "And in less than one minute, he was shot and bleeding."

In a statement, Orlando Police Chief Eric D. Smith said officers "proactively patrol to remove illegal drugs and crime guns off our streets."

He said the intersection near where Diaz was shot had seen 431 incidents in the last 18 months.

In an earlier statement, police said officers approached Diaz because "probable cause was developed to believe the suspect was involved in drug activity."

They also said he "disobeyed commands given by the officer and made a movement as if to retrieve a gun."

In the video posted on YouTube, police wrote that after being shot, Diaz tossed an object out of the window that "was later identified as narcotics."

Jackson said Diaz did not have a gun in his vehicle, and it was not known what type of narcotics police had found. She said Diaz had a medical marijuana card for anxiety.

Sonia Nava, the mother of Diaz's daughter, told reporters that the footage shows Diaz did nothing wrong.

"All we know from that video is that Derek was sitting in his car. He was not doing anything wrong," Nava told reporters. "The video was so sickening to watch. I threw up while watching it."

She said police had shown the family the footage just 10 minutes before it was released to the public.

People on social media reacted with outrage, with some calling for the officer who opened fire to face charges.

"Shot and killed by police for moving his hand? If the police are this afraid of the citizens they're supposedly sworn to protect, why did they become cops?" tweeted political commentator Keith Boykin.

"The Fifty Shades of Whey" tweeted: "Cops can't just harass innocent people over b******* and then murder them."

Others sided with police, saying Diaz should have kept his hands on the steering wheel.

Dennis WeWayne Mock said: "Thanks for the job that you're doing keep up the good work keep yourself safe praying."

In his statement, Smith said: "We understand the need for answers. Maintaining the integrity of the investigation process is also needed so that the facts are provided fairly and transparently. An investigation involves not only body worn camera video of the incident but also includes the collection of witness testimony, evidence and other materials."

The names of the officers involved have not been released. The officer who shot Diaz was not injured and has been placed on paid administrative leave.

"Since the incident happened, the Orlando Police Department has been cooperating with the [Florida Department of Law Enforcement] investigation, and we will continue to do so as we are all committed to a thorough and transparent review of the case," Smith said on Wednesday.

Newsweek has contacted Diaz's family through their attorney and the Orlando Police Department for further comment.