What happened: A Boca Raton police officer's fatal sh00ting of a 39-year-old man in late 2024 was legally justified, prosecutors have determined, prompting the police department to release new surveillance video, witness footage, and 911 calls as an internal administrative review gets underway.
Background: The Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office formally notified the department on Aug. 26 that Officer Michael Super’s use of deadly force against Morey Clemmons was "objectively reasonable under the circumstances and his actions were legally justified" following an independent investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
With the criminal case closed, Boca Raton Police Chief Jarad Phelps released the investigative materials and outlined the findings from the Dec. 18, 2024 encounter near 50 NW Second Avenue.
Officer Super attempted to deploy his Taser twice within seven seconds, but both attempts failed. Police say Clemmons continued walking toward the officer while ignoring commands before Super fired his service weapon, klling him at the scene.
Chief Phelps stated that the unactivated camera will be part of the department's internal administrative review, which will examine the use of force, tactics, training considerations, and whether department policies were followed. "Officer-involved shootings have a profound impact not only on those directly involved, but also their families and the broader community," Phelps said.
"The Boca Raton Police Services Department remains committed to transparency and will continue to share information as the process moves forward." Before releasing the video footage and 911 recordings publicly, department leadership met with Clemmons' family and their attorney to show them the files directly.
The available details are limited to the information verified at publication time. Readers should expect updates as the matter develops.
Any person identified in connection with an alleged offense is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Source: official sources including CBS12 News.
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