ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Police Department has released surveillance video connected to a January crash involving an Orlando police officer that killed a 92-year-old woman, saying state law previously prevented the footage from being made public.
According to the department, requests for the 7-Eleven surveillance video were initially denied because Florida law classifies security camera recordings obtained from private businesses as confidential and exempt from public records disclosure. Police said they were not legally permitted to release the video while the investigation was ongoing.
Now that the investigation has been completed, Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith has authorized the release of the footage. The department said the decision was made to provide the community with additional context and a fuller understanding of the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Police emphasized that the delay was based on legal requirements and was not an attempt to withhold information from the public.
The video is related to a January 18 crash involving Orlando police officer Andrew McKuhen and 92-year-old Milagros Ortiz. An internal affairs investigation found McKuhen did not violate the law.
According to internal affairs documents obtained by Channel 9, McKuhen was attempting to pursue a driver who made an illegal U-turn near South Semoran Boulevard and Hoffner Avenue when the crash occurred. Investigators said McKuhen was traveling 32 mph at the time.
Ortiz, a passenger in another vehicle, died from blunt force trauma injuries sustained in the crash. McKuhen, Ortiz and the driver of the vehicle were all taken to a hospital for treatment. McKuhen later told investigators he had no recollection of the crash.
The State Attorney’s Office declined to file charges against McKuhen. The Orlando Police Department issued him an 80-hour suspension, and he returned to full duty on May 4.
Ortiz’s family has filed a $92 million wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Orlando.
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