MIAMI — The family of 28-year-old Evelyn Valdes, who was fatally shot during a police shooting in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood last year, spoke to Local 10 News after filing a federal wrongful death lawsuit against the city, two police officers, a security company and a nightclub.
Valdes’ mother, Kristy Garcia, and her brother, Jose Valdes Jr., told Local 10’s Linnie Supall that they are seeking accountability and answers over a year after her death.
“I will always love her,” Garcia said. “She’s the one who gave me the mom title. She was my firstborn. She was my world.”
According to the family, Valdes was an innocent bystander who was killed during a police response outside a Wynwood nightclub on June 14, 2025.
The lawsuit alleges officers used excessive force and that negligence contributed to Valdes’ death.
Surveillance video from the night shows a large crowd gathered outside the nightclub as two men were involved in an altercation. One of the men, identified as 30-year-old Norman Lindo, was armed with a gun, according to the lawsuit.
Police officers nearby responded and fired nearly a dozen shots at Lindo, who was killed. Valdes, who was celebrating her birthday, was sitting in the backseat of a Mazda SUV leaving the venue when she was struck by a police-fired bullet, according to her family.
“She was the glue that kept everything together, and without glue, everything falls apart,” said Jose Valdes.
The lawsuit names the city of Miami, the two officers who opened fire, the security company responsible for screening patrons for weapons, and the nightclub.
“My sister’s life was taken from pure negligence, a situation that could have been completely avoided,” added Jose Valdes.
The family’s attorneys allege Lindo displayed a gun inside the nightclub while Evelyn Valdes and her friends were celebrating nearby. They said the confrontation later moved outside but that video does not show Lindo raising, pointing, or firing the weapon before officers shot him.
The lawsuit also claims the city was negligent in getting Evelyn Valdes emergency medical care after she was wounded. The family is requesting a jury trial.
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