‘I wish I would’ve never made the call’: Family speak out after officer-involved shooting in Miami Gardens

A family is in mourning, after police shot and killed a 33-year old man in Miami Gardens. The mother of the victim spoke out about her perspective on the shooting.

“It’s hard. It’s hard you can never prepare yourself or something like this. You don’t expect to wake up one day and your son not be there.” said Melinda Clark, the mother of Ivan Clark.

Ivan’s family said that he was a certified firefighter.

“I’m very proud of all his accomplishments,” said Melinda.

Ivan was killed by Miami Gardens police, who said that they were forced to fire while responding to a call reporting an armed man having a crisis in the backyard of a home on 182nd Street.

Iesha, Ivan’s sister, witnessed the shooting.

“He just moved me to the side, and when I moved, they just shot him,” said Iesha. “When they came up I was tussling with my brother because I was trying to take the gun away from him, but I was not in danger, he was not trying to hurt me. It may have seemed that way from their perspective.”

Police said they were protecting Iesha after arriving at the home.

“They saw this person that had a weapon,” said Miami Gardens Police Chief Delma K. Noel-Pratt. “They saw fit that they needed to protect that person.”

Officials explained how the shooting occurred, and the events that led to shots being fired.

“One, or maybe two officers, fired their firearms,” said Noell-Pratt.

The family said they wished that the conflict could have been deescalated without Ivan’s death.

“I was just trying to take it from his hand. His hand was actually down and behind his back. It wasn’t pointed at the officers. It wasn’t up. It wasn’t like aiming and shooting,” said Iesha. “My brother, he was a very good person, he would help anybody, he loved his family dearly.”

As the state investigates the shooting, the family is left with grief and regret.

“I wish I would’ve never made the call,” said Melinda. “I would’ve rather had him here, I wish I would’ve never called. I was trying to get help. But, it was like the worst decision of my life.”

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is leading the investigation, following protocol after a fatal shooting.