A man cleared of attempted murder says he was wrongfully arrested, and now he’s filing a lawsuit against the City of Opa-locka and its local officials.
The case of Anthony Mitchell began in 2024 when he was arrested for the alleged attempted murder of then-Opa-locka’s vice mayor Christopher Davis.
According to police, Mitchell shot Davis on Aug. 21, 2024.
Davis told responding officers that during his mayoral campaign, he was shot at by Mitchell after fighting with him and Mitchell’s brother.
The case escalated with Mitchell spending time in Miami-Dade Jail and on house arrest with pending charges until earlier this year. Initially, prosecutors reduced his charges to battery, but ultimately dismissed them in April.
“They messed up my life,” said Mitchell. “I was framed. I was basically the fall guy.”
Speaking exclusively to 7News on Friday, Mitchell and his attorney, Michael Pizzi, announced they are filing a lawsuit against the city, its police department, its former chief, former city manager, and others for violating Mitchell’s constitutional rights, among other claims.
“You’ve been through court proceedings, charges of attempted murder, charges of battery. Now it’s over. Why go through all of this with a lawsuit now?” asked 7News reporter Sheldon Fox.
“Because I was framed. I was innocent from the beginning,” said Mitchell.
Pizzi said the legal fight left his client damaged.
“They ruined his life,” said Michael Pizzi.
He said his client’s charges were politically motivated and that the police department was pressured to arrest Mitchell because he conflicted with a former city official and mayoral candidate.
“We sued for millions of dollars,” said Pizzi. “The city of Opa-locka knowingly and intentionally falsely accused Anthony Mitchell of trying to murder a public official.”
During his interview with 7News, Mitchell said the legal battle was not only tough for him, but also for his family.
“Explain to me how difficult your life has been since this night,” said Fox.
“It’s been very difficult. My daughter, my grandson, they took it real hard,” said Mitchell.
Pizzi said the charges against Mitchell were ultimately dropped because prosecutors couldn’t prove their case. Since then, the case has been expunged, meaning it is impossible to obtain any state records on this case.
The City of Opa-locka said it takes this seriously but won’t comment on pending litigation.
