The Marion County Sheriff’s Office has released body camera video footage from a deputy that was involved in the fatal shooting of a 26-year-old man who fled from a traffic stop on Tuesday night.
In a social media post on Friday, MCSO released video of the fatal deputy-involved shooting of Rasheem Edwards, which took place shortly after 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday, October 24, near the intersection of SE Maricamp Road and Emerald Road in Ocala.
In the video, the deputy approached Edwards while he was seated on his dirt bike. Edwards admitted to the deputy that the bike was not registered, and he did not have any forms of identification in his possession at the time of the traffic stop.
Edwards told the deputy that he lived in the area and was on his way to a nearby gas station.
The deputy ordered Edwards to get off the dirt bike and instructed him to place his hands on the patrol car. Approximately 15 seconds after receiving these instructions, Edwards ran away from the patrol car and continued to flee from the deputy on foot.
A short pursuit ensued, and the deputy called out for Edwards to “stop” and repeatedly requested to see his hands. While fleeing from the deputy, Edwards drew a firearm that he was carrying on his hip, according to MCSO.
Edwards ran toward a field where a youth sports practice was being held, and the firearm he was holding fell on the ground while he ran. The video shows that he quickly grabbed the gun and rearmed himself.
After observing Edwards grab the dropped firearm, the deputy fired multiple rounds, which struck Edwards.
The deputy instructed Edwards to place his hands on his back while remaining on the ground. He was then transported to a local hospital in critical condition, and he later succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical treatment.
Edwards was a convicted felon with a prior conviction of attempted burglary in New York. As a result, it was illegal for him to possess a firearm.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is currently investigating the deputy-involved shooting incident.
According to MCSO, the deputy who was involved in the shooting has invoked the protection of Marsy’s Law and is not being identified at this time.