Family of Nicolas Morales speaks as community demands Collier deputies be held accountable

People filled the plaza in Immokalee on Sunday to call for unity but also to demand that the Collier County Sheriff’s deputies involved in the killing of Nicolas Morales be held accountable.

The family and friends of Morales spoke. His son even wrote a letter about how his world has changed since his father was killed.

Morales’ friends, family and community say that even though the deputies were cleared that their fight for justice is far from over.

Nicolas Morales was a father, brother and son whose life was taken after being fatally shot by Collier County deputies.

Jonathan Escobedo was at Sunday’s rally. “I had always thought it would never happen here,” Escobedo said. “I am absolutely sickened of having to see another brown body, another person who looks like me being murdered by the police.”

The State Attorney’s Office cleared both of the Collier County Sheriff’s deputies involved in the shooting.

The dashcam video that the sheriff’s office released sparked even more outrage in the community.

The crowd on Sunday says that Morales’ killing was far from justified and they are demanding accountability and transparency from the sheriff’s office.

Banessa Perez is with the Student Farmworkers Alliance at FGCU. “This is a human life that was lost and we just want justice. That video was so difficult to see and we’re just here demanding action and justice for Nicolas,” Perez said.

Now, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers is demanding a federal investigation, that CCSO implement a mental health crisis response team and an Immokalee citizen’s review panel. All in an effort to prevent more deaths at the hands of deputies.

Gerardo Reyes Chaves is with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. “We are not going to tolerate any of this any longer,” he said. “Because beating one of us is beating us all.”

Although the deputies involved were cleared by the State Attorney’s Office, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an internal investigation.