More than 35 victims of the massacre at the Pulse nightclub filed a civil action against the city and Orlando Police today for violating their constitutional rights and not acting quickly to stop the attacker.
The lawsuit, which Efe had access to, was filed this Thursday in the Federal Court of the Middle District of Florida, in the city of Orlando, and in it, Officer Adam Gruler, a local police agent, is held responsible. On the night of June 12, 2016, I worked as a private security guard in the gay club.
That day, 49 people died and 53 were injured when the Afghan-born American Omar Mateen, who swore allegiance to the Islamic State (IS), entered the club armed and opened fire, executing the second worst killing with a firearm in the country. .
The letter, which also requires 30 other unidentified officers, the 39 whistleblowers, including 9 representatives of fatalities, claim that Gruler did not provide sufficient protection to the Pulse club and that he acted “imprudently” during the attack that Mateen perpetrated, gunned down by the police that night.
According to police records, Gruler left for a moment his position at the door of the club to go to the parking lot to investigate the presence of someone who allegedly wore a false personal identification.
“Gruler quickly realized the presence of the author of the shooting and was forced to enter the club to face him,” the lawsuit states.
The plaintiffs, represented by the law firm Conrad J. Benedetto, say that the police force should neutralize the attacker, but “they let the club’s clients be massacred while they only made sure they were safe.”
The document blames the city of Orlando, in central Florida, and local police supervisors for failing to provide proper training to their officers.
In a joint statement released today, the Police and the City of Orlando said they had not seen the lawsuit and refrained from commenting. They pointed out, however, that on the night of the incident local, state and federal officials “put themselves in danger to save as many lives as possible.”
The lawsuit demands, in addition to a jury trial, an unspecified compensation.
