An “evil” fuel station employee pumped 24 bullets into an off-duty Florida police officer — then blamed it “having a nasty day,” authorities mentioned as they charged him with homicide.
Edgewater Police Officer David Jewell, a 45-year-old dad, was shot within the head a number of instances at point-blank vary in a Circle Okay fuel station in Ormond-by-the-Sea on Monday afternoon, Volusia County sheriff’s officers mentioned.
Chilling surveillance footage exhibits the suspect — recognized by cops as fuel station worker Eduardo Labrada Machado — leaving the shop after Jewell walked in and retrieved a jacket from his automobile.
Machado, a 24-year-old inexperienced card holder, is then seen returning to the shop, pulling out his handgun — and taking pictures him a number of instances within the head, killing him, the sheriff’s workplace mentioned.
“Firing 24 photographs, two clips, into off-duty police officer David Jewell, assassinating him on the spot,” Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood instructed a information convention as he performed among the sickening video.
“In 38 years of policing, as a murder detective, on the time the fourth-largest metropolis within the nation, to observe the evil and the calculating-ness of what he did to Officer Jewell, you can not describe it.”
Machado reportedly confessed to murdering Jewell, telling cops he had seen the officer within the retailer a number of instances and believed the pair had argued prior to now, authorities mentioned.
“The defendant mentioned he was having a nasty day on his drive to work, and thought of taking pictures Jewell earlier,” the sheriff’s workplace mentioned in a press release on social media.
“When he arrived at work and noticed Jewell, he used a handgun he just lately bought to shoot him a number of instances at shut vary. He didn’t say something to Jewell previous to taking pictures him.”
The handgun believed to have been used was later present in Machado’s automobile, and the fuel station clerk was booked into jail on a first-degree homicide cost.
Machado had no prison historical past, however had an encounter with regulation enforcement in 2023 after firing weapons in a state park, the sheriff’s workplace mentioned.
Members of the family mentioned he had been identified with a psychological well being dysfunction, in line with the sheriff’s workplace.
He’s a authorized resident of the US who has lived within the nation for the previous 10 years.
Jewell had been an officer for the Edgewater Police Division for the previous two years, beforehand working for the Volusia County Sheriff’s Workplace and Lake Helen Police Division.
A GoFundMe arrange by his fellow officers to lift cash for his household had already raised greater than $33,000 as of Wednesday morning.
“To honor his service and help his household throughout this devastating time, we’re elevating funds to supply ongoing look after his spouse, father-in-law and son as David was their sole supplier,” the fundraiser reads.
