ABC News – FBI Probing Florida Police Shooting of Man With Air Rifle
The FBI’s top agent in South Florida told Broward Sheriff Scott Israel about its investigation into Jermaine McBean’s death in a recent letter. The letter was included in a filing Tuesday by the sheriff’s office in a civil lawsuit brought by McBean’s family. Agent George Piro said the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division asked the FBI to open the probe after receiving a complaint.
“The Department of Justice has requested that the FBI review the incident to determine if McBean’s civil rights were violated,” Piro said in the June 26 letter.
Peraza insisted in a sworn statement he never noticed any earbuds. But a photo taken by an apartment resident after the shooting clearly shows them in at least one of McBean’s ears. It’s not clear why McBean decided to buy the air rifle that day at a pawn shop and walk back to his apartment carrying it in open view.
The wrongful death lawsuit — filed in May in federal court against Israel, Peraza and Broward County — contends among other things that law enforcement officials covered up evidence about the earbuds, which were found later in McBean’s pocket. The sheriff has denied any improprieties in the deputies’ actions.