ACLU demands justice for veteran’s death during police intervention in Utuado
By THE STAR STAFF
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Puerto Rico on Wednesday, Veterans Day, reiterated its call for justice with regard to the death of Daniel Maldonado Díaz, a 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran who was shot by a police officer during an intervention involving an emotional crisis in Utuado on May 26, 2025.
“The same bullet that struck my son in the heart struck me as well. It killed my heart, too,” said Nilda Margarita Díaz Huertas, the veteran’s mother, in a statement released by the organization via video.
Maldonado Díaz died after Sgt. Julio Nieves Rosado shot him in the chest during an intervention at his home in the Barriada Nueva neighborhood of Utuado.
According to a lawsuit filed by the ACLU, the officers made no attempt to establish a dialogue with the veteran before resorting to deadly force. The family maintains that Maldonado Díaz was unarmed and offered no resistance when he was shot, in the presence of his sister.
The legal action was filed in May 2026 on behalf of his mother and his sister, Carmen Jarmín Maldonado Díaz, alleging civil rights violations and seeking damages. The litigation is currently in the discovery phase.
The defendants include Police Commissioner Joseph González Falcón and Nieves Rosado, both in their official and personal capacities.
The organization asserts that the officers failed to comply with General Order 628 of the Puerto Rico Police, which establishes the protocol for interventions involving veterans experiencing emotional crises. In addition to seeking compensatory and punitive damages, the lawsuit requests that the court order the central government and the Police Bureau to comply with the general orders of the Police Reform and to establish an interdisciplinary group of trained personnel to address such situations.
“It is unacceptable that a veteran experiencing an emotional crisis should be met with lethal force by the very authorities duty-bound to protect his life,” stated Fermín Arraiza Navas, legal director of the ACLU of Puerto Rico. “Daniel Maldonado Díaz deserved care and protection, not a gunshot to the chest.”
Meanwhile, the organization’s executive director, Annette Martínez Orabona, noted that the commemoration of Veterans Day should include the recognition of the civil and constitutional rights of those who have served in the military.
“Beyond merely acknowledging veterans on a specific date on the calendar, the State has a responsibility to ensure their access to physical and mental health services, to protect their dignity, and to fully respect their civil and constitutional rights,” she said.
The ACLU pointed out that the case raises questions regarding intervention protocols, police training, and accountability mechanisms for incidents involving individuals in emotional crisis.
