IMMOKALEE, Fla. — The fight for justice continues in Immokalee after the family of Nicolas Morales Bessania says justice has not been served.
Back in September, Bessania was shot and killed by Collier County Sheriff's Deputies after a 911 disturbance call was made to the Farmworkers Village Neighborhood around 1 in the morning.
Last week the Collier County Sheriff's Office released dash cam video after the State Attorney's office declared the use of force lawful and justifiable in the killing of Bessania.
Attorney Brent Probinsky representing the Bessania family says, this process is far from over.
“The fact that we had a man with a mental lapse, we had no detected assaults by him on anyone, no firearms supported by him, a suspicious person is what it was, and it should have ended in a peaceful manner,” said Brent Probinsky, attorney representing the Bessania family.
The Lee County NAACP is also stepping in to seek justice, saying they are hoping to obtain, all video footage, and all audio recordings of each officer involved. The State Attorney’s investigatory report(s), including policies and procedures referencing the use or non-use of force, and de-escalation procedures, but also a closer look at the deputies involved.
“Maybe these officers have been involved in other situations that have happened in Immokalee or proably Naples? Is there a pattern that exists between these officers that were involved that night?,” said James Buchannon, 2nd Vice President of the Lee County NAACP.
Lastly the Coalition of Immokalee Workers says it too wants justice for Bessania and his family, but in the long run they are hoping to bridge a gap between the community and the police.
“If the police would just to listen to us, if police was to sit at the table with us and craft something that makes sense, and stop killings from continuing to happen here and everywhere in the country,” said Gerado Reyes Chavez, senior staff with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.
