A passer-by, who was carrying a concealed weapon and shot a suspect as he continued to attack a Florida deputy, was officially cleared of all the charges by the State Attorney’s Office.
Passerby Ashad Russell, who possessed a concealed carry permit at the time of the November 14 incident, came to the aid of Lee County Deputy Dean Bardes, who was being brutally beaten by armed suspect Edward Strother, 53.
The incident occurred in Florida on November 14, when Deputy Bardes tried to stop Strother for speeding. However, Strother did not stop his car.
The chase went on for some time, and the pair came to a stop at Exit 23 and the 53-year-old Strother, began attacking Barnes.
Strother pinned down the deputy, punching him repeatedly, and allegedly tried to grab the deputy’s service weapon.
On spotting the passerby, Deputy Bardes pleaded with him to shoot the victim. According to Amira Fox, the Florida Chief Assistant State Attorney, at that time Strother was brutally attacking and punching Bardes and was seen to be reaching for his gun.
The passerby obliged, shooting Strother dead.
Immediately after the shooting, Russell, who was declared a hero, turned away, dropped his gun to the ground, and waited in his car for the arrival of additional law enforcement officers.
Russell claimed later that the experience left him in shock.
Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott praised Russell in a post on Facebook:
I thank the hero that recognized the imminent threat, rushed to Deputy Bardes’ aid, and ultimately stopped that threat. In a day and age where race is a near instant focus for media and other pundits in police incidents, the fact is that this hero happens to be a man of color who stopped another man of color from further harming or killing a white cop; thereby reminding us that black lives matter, blue lives matter, and indeed all life matters.
After reviewing the case, the SAO determined that Russell was “justified in using deadly force when he reasonably believed that the use of such force was necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to Deputy Dean Bardes or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony upon Deputy Bardes. Our agency review is closed and no further action shall be taken by this office based upon the facts presented by this investigation and the applicable law.”
Russell claimed later that the experience left him in shock.
Watch the video below for more details:
Sources: OpposingViews, Daily Mail, The Washington Post
