Street Artist Demz killed by Miami Police

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Demz’s Death: Witness, Cop’s Record Raise Questions About Graffiti Artist’s Killing
By Trevor Bach- 10 Dec.14

Hours after Delbert Rodriguez, a 21-year-old street artist known as “Demz,” died last night, the Miami Police Department reiterated its version of what happened: An undercover cop chased Rodriguez after spotting him tagging a building in Wynwood early Friday morning. When the cop turned a corner, police say, Rodriguez was low to the ground in dark clothing; the officer couldn’t avoid hitting him. The death, police say, was a tragic accident.

But an account provided to Riptide by Danny Garcia, a friend who was with Rodriguez that night, raises new questions about the pursuit. “The cop was right behind him, and he had no time to hide,” Garcia says of Demz.

Riptide also reviewed the internal affairs file of the officer involved, Det. Michael Cadavid. It shows the officer has faced civilian complaints for aggressive policing, road rage, and abusing business owners while out of uniform. None of those complaints was substantiated, but Cadavid was sanctioned for his role in an infamous Halloween fight caught on camera. …more

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