Hollywood officer who paralyzed man intended to use a Taser, not gun, police say
Hollywood police said late Tuesday night that an initial review appears to show that an officer who shot a naked man in July — seriously wounding him — had intended to use a Taser instead of a gun.
The announcement came a day after Michael Ortiz, who was shot and paralyzed, and famed civil rights lawyer Benjamin Crump — along with co-counsel Paul Napoli and Hunter Shkolnik — announced they’d file a lawsuit to force Hollywood police to release relevant records.
Police said a single bullet struck Ortiz. Miami Herald news partner CBS4 News video showed Ortiz in a wheelchair.
His lawyers said Wednesday in a press release that Ortiz cannot walk, is confined to a wheelchair, has several surgeries scheduled and requires round-the-clock care.
The officer has been relieved of duty and was given administrative tasks, the department said. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating.
Crump could not be reached for comment, but the law office’s Wednesday statement clarified they will be suing for the release of surveillance footage, 911 calls, police reports, body camera footage, witness statements, and police radio dispatches relating to the shooting, as well as prior excessive force complaints.
“He was handcuffed, naked, on the ground, and posed no threat to the officer when he was shot in the back, resulting in his paralysis,” attorneys said in the statement. “Michael Ortiz needed help from the Hollywood Police Department, but what they provided instead was a bullet in the back.”
Lawyers say the department has lacked transparency and made “ridiculous excuses,” but police said they hadn’t received a public records request from Ortiz or his family until Monday, Feb. 7.
The department said it was contacted early on by the law firm of Morgan and Morgan to “preserve all evidence and records” in the case and the firm mailed a public records request to the general police headquarters address. Police noted they never received that letter or any other recent records request.
That law firm is no longer representing the Ortiz family, the department said.
“We empathize with Mr. Ortiz and his family and know they have many questions about that evening,” police said. “Our hope is that once the investigation is complete, we will be able to meet with them and provide any additional information they are seeking.”
Police said that the saga began on July 3, when Ortiz called 911 to report that he had chest pain and was taking narcotics. When cops came to his door in an apartment building at 5200 Hollywood Blvd., Ortiz came out “naked, combative with paramedics, and visibly agitated,” the police department’s press release Tuesday night said. He said he was going to jump from his sixth-floor balcony, the release said.
According to police: One officer, who was not named, shot his Taser and restrained Ortiz. While police were bringing Ortiz downstairs, he continued to resist and an officer shot his gun, hitting Ortiz once. Ortiz was then taken to a hospital for treatment.
The day after the shooting, police released a brief description of the incident but did not go into detail about the shooting.
Crump says that a camera at the apartment building on West Hollywood Boulevard captured the incident, WFOR-CBS 4 reported. His description of what happened differs from the police account.
According to Crump, Ortiz called 911 because his dog was missing. After taking a shower, police showed up at Ortiz’s door while he was in a towel.
”You must release the video that shows us why you shot a naked man, face down and paralyzed him,” Crump told CBS 4 on Monday.
This story was originally published February 9, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
