Kobvey Igbuhay’s family wants answers why he was killed by Tampa Police

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Shakira Rodriguez
Shakira Rodriguez holds a picture of her boyfriend Kobvey Igbuhay who was killed by a Tampa Police officer in October. By Seán Kinane / WMNF News.

Last week an 18-year-old was killed in a confrontation with a Tampa Police officer. Police say Kobvey Igbuhay was one of four teens trying to elude officers in a stolen vehicle then hide in a swamp. According to police Igbuhay attempted to drown a police K-9 and the officer that ended up shooting Igbuhay. But Thursday morning more than a dozen of his family and friends pleaded with Tampa City Council to investigate the shooting. They say Igbuhay was unarmed, mauled in the face by the police dog and too small to cause harm to the officer or the K-9. Igbuhay’s pregnant girlfriend Shakira Rodriguez was in the car, hid in the woods and said she saw what happened.

“Whether his mistake was little or bad and me as an eyewitness, I know what he did is not what they’re saying. They could have shot him in the arm, in the leg; no reason to shoot him in the head. He’s 18, he had dreams, he had plans, he had goals, he had a future and a child on the way. He had so many plans for the baby. Now how am I supposed to tell my child his dad is never going to be around? How am I supposed to tell my child he’s going to grow up without a father? Cops can handle situations in different ways, especially when it’s a whole bunch of them and just one boy right there. They could have handled it differently and he could have been living his life right now.”

Joe Caimano is the attorney for Igbuhay’s father. He says the police rushed to the judgement that Officer Jimmy Houston was justified to shoot Igbuhay.

“I want to be able to see the evidence before we come to any conclusion. Look at their standard operating procedures on how they’re supposed to operate with canines’ use of force and what actually happened before we can really argue whether it was justified or not justified. We don’t feel that’s appropriate to make those conclusions like the Tampa Police Department did right then and there. … We have a witness who was present. We were walking out in the swamp yesterday with the Police Department. Again, they’re giving us a lot of cooperation in their investigation trying to show them exactly what our witness perceived as happening in the event.”

Kobvey Igbuhay’s father, Harvey wants a fair investigation.

Kobvey Igbuhay’s younger sister, Henna Bly misses her brother.

Tampa Police public information officer Stephen Hegarty says Officer Houston will remain on paid administrative leave during the investigation and that all records will be released when it is complete. As in other officer-involved shootings the state attorney is conducting a separate investigation to see if there should be criminal charges.

In related news, Thursday afternoon Tampa City Council advanced an ordinance that – if it survives its next vote as expected – would create a Citizen Review Board for police supported by Mayor Bob Buckhorn. Five members of the public spoke out against the review board and council members Frank Reddick and Yvonne Yolie Capin continue to oppose it for being too weak. WMNF News asked Reddick about it before Thursday’s vote:

“I will continue to vote against it. My vote today going to be against it. I’m disappointed and always been because I think every council member should had had the opportunity to appoint one person.”

Reddick says he will trust the process to review the police shooting of Kobvey Igbuhay but will consider the family’s request for an investigation if there are still questions about how the police handled it.

More video of public comment:

Supporters marched from City Hall to the County Courthouse to ask the state attorney for a fair investigation:

eyewitness injured
Igbuhay eyewitness says he was injured by police K-9. Sean Kinane / WMNF News.
supporters march
Igbuhay supporters march through Tampa. Sean Kinane / WMNF News.

 

 

 

5 Responses to “Kobvey Igbuhay’s family wants answers why he was killed by Tampa Police”

  1. Margaret Salazar

    Please fight for kobvey, get the story out there for his justice…but more importantly for our kids in the tampabay community to be safe…kobs life meant something…he wasnt a nobody, a thug, he was respected in the community by all and basketball champion…let’s make this senseless act stand for something…Kobvey had a way touching peoples hearts for change to a better way…we want justice for him but we also want his name and death to make a change for the better to protect his family and friends …. If anyone knew Kob they knew he was all about that…..#JUSTICEFORKOBVEY

    Reply
  2. dallascarm

    So sad. This young boy lost his life at the mercy of the devils power pyramid. It is truly sick that we are governed by political parties and police. Police have been given power to kill. It is a commandment in the bible… Though shall not kill. Why don’t they kill the rapists and child molesters. Stop breaking peoples homes and hurting innocent people. We are all human and deserve love and righteousness in life. This story saddens me and i pray that this young man will be served justice. Rip.

    Reply
  3. sz

    So many plans for the baby…did that include going for a high speed drive in a stolen car? Father of the Year !

    Reply
  4. Nick Herdick

    Sounds to me like he broke the law, tried to kill a cop and was killed. He had dreams and goals, to what, be a lifetime criminal. He he is a POS thug at 18 he will be a POS thug for life. Now while productive citizens are waking up and going to work everyday to better themselves they have one less POS criminal to worry about. When did we start making cops out to be criminals and justifying the actions of criminals when cops try to stop them. Screw this guy .

    Reply
  5. Edward

    Become a felon and take the risk in a swamp in the early AM. Police know a felon is in the swamp is trying to kill a fellow officer. Life is precious did he weigh the risk before he acted? SAD STUPIDITY. Darwin awards are part of life when people don’t think their actions through. I don’t want an officer at risk to be expected to become a school councilor in the circumstances he was put in by a felon’s actions.The perfect car theft gone wrong is not on the officer, surrender in a swamp was an option.

    Reply

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