Protester gets apology from city for eye injury

Woman was shot in the face with a rubber bullet fired by a Fort Lauderdale officer

FORT LAUDERDALE — LaToya Ratlieff, shot in the face with a rubber bullet fired by a Fort Lauderdale police officer, says she has waited months for an apology from the city.

It finally came Wednesday — 36 weeks and three days after the bullet fractured Ratlieff ’s right eye socket during a social justice protest May 31.

Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Ben Sorensen delivered a heartfelt apology during a meeting with Ratlieff on his front porch, said Evan Ross, her spokesman.

“I apologized to her for what happened,” Sorensen said. “She was gracious and appreciative of the apology. I also said how sorry I was. I’m sure this has impacted her life physically and emotionally, from work to family to friends.”

Ratlieff, 35, said she’s been waiting a long time for an apology.

“I appreciate that his apology was not simply for what happened to me, but for the ongoing impact it has on my life,” she said.

Sorensen said he felt compelled to extend an apology because the incident happened in his district.

“I am responsible for what happens in that district,” he said. “It’s important to apologize when mistakes are made and people are hurt.”

Ross, Ratlieff attorney Michael Davis and City Attorney Alain Boileau were also present.

Ratlieff, a nonprofit grant writer from Delray Beach, has not ruled out filing a lawsuit against the city, Ross said.

“No decision has been made on that,” he

said. “Her goal remains to continue working with the city on reforms. All of her options are still on the table. But filing a lawsuit is not her priority at this point. Her priority is reform. It’s always been reform.”

In August, Ratlieff met with Fort Lauderdale Mayor

Dean Trantalis and City Manager Chris Lagerbloom to discuss a list of reforms she’d like to see at the Fort Lauderdale Police Department.

After making his apology, Sorensen said he also updated Ratlieff on the reforms underway at the department.

“We’ve been working on police reform for months now,” Sorensen said. “She had suggested multiple reforms to the city, and I wanted to reassure her that I received her request. I gave her a full update on all the changes we’ve been making in the Fort Lauderdale Police Department.”

Ratlieff called the meeting a productive discussion on how to ensure needed changes are made within the police department.

“We agreed that we will continue to speak and meet, and that we will work together to ensure that activists and organizations on the front lines of the social justice movement will have a voice in the process moving forward,” she said.