MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Newly released body camera footage and official records have reignited community concerns and legal action following the fatal police shooting of Osvaldo Cueli, 59, in the Redlands neighborhood of southwest Miami-Dade last November. The State Attorney’s Office released the video and 911 calls this week, prompting fresh scrutiny over the circumstances surrounding Cueli’s death.

What Happened?

On a quiet evening in November 2023, detectives Mario Fernandez and Jorge Sanchez from Miami-Dade Police Department’s now-defunct Illegal Dumping Unit responded to a report of a possible stolen vehicle. The officers, driving an unmarked unit, encountered Cueli and his son on their rural property. Within moments, the interaction turned fatal.

Bodycam footage shows the immediate aftermath: officers assessing the scene and reminding each other that their cameras were recording. A 911 call made by Cueli’s son can also be heard in the release, in which he pleads for an ambulance.

Cueli’s daughter reportedly recorded disturbing video on her phone moments after the shooting, with her father motionless on the ground. She and her brother have both stated publicly that they did not know the men on their property were police officers.

Conflicting Accounts

According to Cueli’s son, the family had earlier seen what they believed to be trespassers and never realized they were law enforcement. He maintains his father never fired a weapon. He also said that the bullet holes later found on their property came from police officers shooting from within their unmarked vehicle.

But the prosecutors’ findings tell a different story. The State Attorney’s Office concluded that Cueli discharged his firearm three times and that at least one round struck a police truck. Still, in a closeout memo released this month, the office stated there was “insufficient evidence to determine whether the police shooting was justified.”

No criminal charges have been filed against the officers involved.

Legal Fallout

Cueli’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Miami-Dade County, arguing that the police response was unjustified and excessive. That civil case remains ongoing. The family’s attorney has cited a lack of transparency and training within specialized units like the Illegal Dumping Unit as contributing factors in Cueli’s death.

Broader Context

This case echoes a broader national conversation about the use of force by plainclothes officers in unmarked vehicles — a policing strategy often criticized for creating confusion during confrontations with civilians. Miami-Dade’s own Illegal Dumping Unit was quietly disbanded earlier this year.

Legal experts say the decision not to determine justification doesn’t equate to exoneration. “It leaves a gray area that deeply frustrates grieving families,” said Miami-based civil rights attorney Elena Vega. “When prosecutors refuse to declare a shooting justified or unjustified, it effectively closes the criminal door while keeping the public in the dark.”

What’s Next?

The Cueli family continues to seek answers through the courts, hoping to push for greater oversight and reforms in how specialized policing units engage with residents, particularly on private property.