Family’s lawyer wants more investigation details in deputy shooting of Immokalee man

A man carrying a shovel was shot and killed by a deputy back in September, and his family is calling for justice and transparency. Several activist groups want everything about the investigation released.

Lawyers for Nick Morales’ family say he was shot three times within 13 seconds of when Collier County deputies responded to him in Immokalee.

“Lord, this is happening all over our country,” said Brent Probinsky, the Morales family attorney. “Many people of color are losing their lives.”

Protesters were equipped with signs, demanding transparency from law enforcement and showed a painting of Morales.

Family of the Immokalee farmworker want answers.

“All we’re asking for is his truth,” said Marisa Andrade-Nicolas, Morales’ step-daughter.

“Why was this man shot three times by armed sheriff officers when they came to the farmworker village within 13 seconds of their arrival?” Probinsky said.

Video shows emergency workers taking Morales away by an ambulance Sept. 17 after a woman called 911 telling deputies a man with a shovel was trying to break into a home.

“They have switched their story multiple times,” said Tharina Oris with Collier Youth for Black Lives.

Probinsky is asking deputies to release their dash footage to see if Morales charged them, and at what point he dropped a shovel and pulled out garden sheers.

“Is there justification for use of deadly force?” Probinksy said. “We have a man who’s 5’1 tall, Nick. He weighs 120 pounds.”

We asked what Morales could have been doing banging outdoors at 1 a.m.

“We think that is the first time this happened,” Probinsky said. “We think he had some kind of mental lapse, maybe the first time. He went outside with only his shorts.”