Police officers’ body-worn camera recordings of the Nov. 23 killing of 15-year-old Stavian Rodriguez won't be released “at this time,” an attorney for the city of Oklahoma City says in a letter to an attorney for the boy’s mother.
Attorney Rand Eddy filed a lawsuit Feb. 2 seeking release of the video on behalf of Cameo Holland. In a letter to the city attorney’s office the previous Friday, Eddy said more than six weeks had passed without a response to his initial request.
Rodriguez was shot to death by police responding to a report of an attempted armed robbery at a south Oklahoma City gas station.
State law requires law enforcement agencies to make body-worn camera recordings “available for public inspection and copying,” he said.
Rodriguez was shot by officers responding to a reported armed robbery attempt. TV news video appeared to show Rodriguez outside a gas station, dropping a gun. The boy raises his hands, then lowers them before being shot.
“Six weeks seems like more than enough time to provide the video given the nature of this event,” Joey Senat, an associate professor at Oklahoma State University and an expert on public records law, told The Oklahoman.
Rodriguez‘s death happened less than three weeks after the killing of a Black man whose family members said was mentally ill, prompting two days of protests over police violence shortly before Christmas.
Stavian Rodriguez s mother files lawsuit against city of Oklahoma City Share Updated: 6:25 PM CST Feb 2, 2021 Share Updated: 6:25 PM CST Feb 2, 2021
Hide Transcript
Show Transcript LAWSUIT. PERRIS: THAT LAWSUIT FILED AT THE OKLAHOMA COUNTY DISTRICT COURT TODAY UNDER THE OPEN RECORDS ACT. THE FAMILIES ATTORNEY SAYS STILL NO REPSONSE FROM THE CITY AFTER REQUESTING THOSE RECORDS MID DECEMBER. WE WANT TO SEE IT. WE NEED TO SEE IT. PERRIS: CALLS INCREASING FOR OKLAHOMA CITY POLICE TO RELEASE THE BODY CAM VIDEO FROM THE NIGHT OFFICERS SHOT AND KILLED 15-YEAR-OLD STAVIAN RODRIGUEZ DURING AN ALLEGED ARMED ROBBERY. RAND EDDY, THE ATTORNEY FOR STAVIAN’S MOM, CAMEO HOLLAND SAYS THEY HOPE THIS LAWSUIT WILL SPEED UP THE PROCESS. WE’RE ALSO GOING TO BE WATCHING CAREFULLY AND SOMEWHAT IMPATIENTLY TO SEE THE RESULT OF DAVID PRATER’S INVESTIGATION. PERRIS: TODAY, LOCAL COMMUNITY LEADERS AND ACTIVISTS ALSO CALLING FOR TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FROM P
By: Hunter McKee
OKLAHOMA CITY -
The family and legal team of 15-year-old Stavian Rodriquez met Tuesday at City Hall demanding answers. Rodriquez was shot and killed by police more than two months ago outside an Oklahoma City gas station.
Attorney Rand Eddy said they still need answers and now, they ve filed a lawsuit, requesting police bodycam footage of the shooting.
“We want to see it, we need to see it,” said Eddy.
On November 23, officers responded to a reported armed robbery at a gas station near downtown Oklahoma City. Officers said Rodriguez was a suspect and was shot because he didn t follow commands. However, his family claimed he dropped his gun and did what he was asked.
Credit OKC Police
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The mother of a 15-year-old boy who was shot and killed by Oklahoma City police last month filed paperwork Monday indicating she intends to sue the city over the killing.
Attorney Rand Eddy said a tort claim notice filed on behalf of Cameo Holland is the first step before a lawsuit is filed. The tort claim seeks $175,000 in compensation for Holland.
Holland’s son, Stavian Rodriguez, was shot and killed by police on Nov. 23 after an attempted armed robbery of a gas station on the city’s south side. During the robbery attempt, the store clerk fled the store and locked Rodriguez inside, according to police Sgt. Gary Knight. After police surrounded the store, Rodriguez climbed out a drive-through window holding a pistol, Knight said.