HOMESTEAD, FLA. (WSVN) - The ex-girlfriend of the man who was killed when, police said, officers were forced to fire in a Homestead neighborhood is asking for answers and sharing her side of the story.
Speaking with 7News through a translator, Meidelyn Cabrera said she believes the shooting that claimed the life of Leandro Ledea Chong was unjust.
Chong was fatally shot by Homestead Police officers inside his home, located along Sunrise Boulevard, Saturday morning. He was 31 years old.
“When I got there, I started screaming that they had killed him,” said Cabrera.
Cabrera said she dated and lived with Ledea Chong for two years. After their separation, she said, she still took care of him, living just two homes away.
Cabrera claims her ex-boyfriend should have never been killed because he was mentally ill.
“I showed Homestead Police his mental health papers when they had arrived,” she said.
On Friday, video posted on social media by Homestead Social shows Ledea Chong being surrounded by Homestead Police officers.
However, they decided to disengage because, investigators said, he was not a threat at the time.
But on Saturday, police said, they were forced to fire their weapons.
“An incident did occur with the officers where the officers were forced to fire their firearms,” said Homestead Police Capt. Fernando Morales.
Police have not confirmed whether or not Ledea Chong was armed at the time of the incident.
But Cabrera said they were aware that he was ill.
“It was the same cops that came in the morning and at night,” she said.
Cabrera also said she had called a crisis health center to come help her ex-boyfriend.
“In the end, they had just sent police for this ending,” she said.
The officers involved in the shooting remain on administrative leave, as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement continues to investigate.
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