Family of Salaythis Melvin suing Orange County Sheriff's Office
ORLANDO, Fla. - A lawsuit filed in federal court claims that deputies with the Orange County Sheriff's Office violated Salaythis Melvin's civil rights – specifically, his Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure and this Fourteenth Amendment right to equal protection.
"It's time for Mr. Melvin and his family to get their day in court," said Brad Laurent, the Melvin family attorney.
Last summer, an undercover Orange County sheriff's deputy shot Melvin in the back while Melvin was running from deputies who were trying to serve a warrant on one of his friends. The shooting touched off protests in Orlando, and his family's lawyer says it's time for justice.
"These cases are sometimes the only way that the family or a victim of civil rights violations will get their day in court," Laurent said.
RELATED: FDLE completes investigation into fatal shooting Salaythis Melvin
Lawyers are filing the lawsuit in federal court against all the officers involved in the case, plus Sheriff John Mina, and the Sheriff's Office as a whole.
"Mr. Melvin should have never ever been in a position where he was shot. He was not a target of their investigation, he had nothing to do with them executing a warrant," Laurent said.
FOX 35 News contacted the Sheriff's Office for their response to the lawsuit. They say they don't comment on pending litigation. Laurent said Melvin’s family is still grieving the loss.
"It's still very rough for them. For them, it's as if they lost Mr. Melvin yesterday."
Watch FOX 35 News for the latest Central Florida Headlines.