Article source:
http://news.brevardtimes.com/2016/06/brevard-county-sheriffs-deputy-yousef
.html
PALM BAY,
Florida - The
Florida Department of Law Enforcement has arrested
Brevard County Sheriff's
Deputy, Yousef Hafza, for the charges of second degree murder with a firearm and attempted second degree murder with a firearm following an alleged road rage incident on
Emerson Drive in
Palm Bay, Florida on Sunday, June 19, 2016.
The 32-year-old deputy shot and killed 25-year-old
Clarence Mahogany X
Howard while off duty during the incident. According to the Brevard County
Sheriff’s Office, Hafza did not identify himself as a law enforcement officer and was not acting in a law enforcement capacity.
FDLE began the investigation at the request of
Palm Bay Police Chief Mark Renkens and Brevard County Sheriff
Wayne Ivey. The investigation shows Hafza’s vehicle and another vehicle nearly collided just after 11 a.m. on June 19.
The driver and a passenger followed Hafza’s car. Hafza and the victims stopped their vehicles and exited.
During their interaction, Hafza fired his weapon, resulting in the death of the passenger in the other vehicle. The driver of the vehicle was not injured.
Hafza is being held in the
Brevard County Jail on no bond.
The State Attorney’s
Office,
18th Judicial
Circuit will prosecute this case.
"
Cases involving a member of your own agency are best facilitated with complete transparency that ensures public trust while also protecting the integrity of the investigation," said Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey. "As such, from the very beginning of the incident, I asked FDLE to conduct an independent investigation and present their findings to the
State Attorney's Office for a full review of the facts.
Following their review, the
State Attorney authorized an arrest warrant, which resulted in Yousef Hafza being charged today by FDLE.”
"Pursuant to the arrest, Hafza was immediately suspended from our agency without pay pending an Administrative review of the incident.
Once FDLE has completed their investigation, they will provide a copy of the findings, which will furnish the information required to complete the Administrative
Investigation."
Hafza is an eleven-year law enforcement veteran, having been previously employed by the Palm Bay
Police Department,
Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the
West Melbourne Police Department.
Around 11:15 a.m. on Sunday, June 19, 2016,
Howard's brother-in-law was allegedly driving a
Honda Civic when the road rage incident occurred and ended with the fatal shooting at the intersection of
St. Johns Heritage Parkway and
Emerson Road in Palm Bay, Florida.
Palm Bay Police Department radio transmissions reveal the following chronology:
11:15
A.M. Howard's brother-in-law calls
911 to report that Howard was shot in the chest and that the shooter is no longer at the scene.
11:16 A.M.
Dispatch alerts Palm Bay patrol officers of a shooting at the intersection of St. Johns Heritage Parkway and Emerson Road.
11:17 A.M. Dispatch relays to officers that a male has suffered a gun shot wound to the chest.
11:17 A.M. Dispatch relays to officers that the shooter called into 911 to say that two men where chasing him and that it is a "very chaotic scene there."
11:18 A.M Dispatch relays to officers that the shooter is "old
I.D. 181 who shot him"- it was Hafza.
Sounds like road rage. Our old I.D. 181 advised "they got out of the car and started chasing him and that he had to shoot them." Dispatch then tells officers that Hafza is located away from the scene at a residence.
11:20
A.M. Radio chatter advises that
CPR is in progress and being performed by responding Palm Bay police officers.
11:22 A.M. Dispatch advises fire rescue that the scene is still not secure.
11:23 A.M.
Scene declared secure.
11:24 A.M.
Request to launch
First Flight.
11:25 A.M.
Roads ordered closed in the area of
Pace for First Flight landing zone.
11:30 A.M.
Fire Rescue declares that the patient is not a trauma code.
11:31 A.M.
Injury is described as a gun shot wound to the patient's right side near the lung but not a code.
11:36 A.M.
Patient "coded again" - decision is made to transport by ground to
Holmes Regional Medical Center rather than by First Flight.
Audio credit: Broadcastify /
Radio Reference
- published: 28 Jun 2016
- views: 356