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FDLE: Officer-involved fatal shooting ruled ‘justified’

CHIPLEY — An officer-involved fatal shooting that took place near the Holmes-Washington county line earlier this year has been ruled “legal, justified under the circumstances,” according to the Office of the State Attorney.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) investigated the March 11 incident at the request of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) after an officer shot a suspect who reportedly failed to comply with requests to put down what appeared to be a rifle.

The WCSO, Holmes County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) and the Bonifay Police Department (BPD) had responded to a report of an armed subject on U.S. 90 at the Alligator Creek Bridge in Washington County. After officers encountered the subject, later identified as Michael Snyder, he was shot by HCSO Deputy Jason Stafford and Bonifay police officer Jim Hall.

A review of evidence indicated seven shots were fired by two officers, with Snyder receiving a total of five gunshot wounds, which resulted in death.

A review of the video from WCSO Deputy Duran Harrison’s patrol car indicates the deputy saw Snyder with a long rifle and scope at the time he initially passed the suspect at the Alligator Creek Bridge. Harrison could see the scope was pointed at him. During the first 25 minutes of the video, Harrison can be heard attempting to communicate with Snyder via a loudspeaker.

During that time, according to the report, Harrison can be heard repeatedly giving verbal instructions to Snyder, including to put his weapon down, “come out with his hands up,” that he “wasn’t in any trouble” and that he “just wanted to talk with him.”

Snyder didn’t respond to any of those requests, despite being told to put down or drop his weapon on at least 20 separate occasions during the first 25 minutes of the video. After 25 minutes, multiple officers can be heard yelling commands for the suspect to put his gun/weapon down and to show them his hands.

Snyder later can be seen walking into the camera view, toward the officers, holding what appears to be a long rifle with scope. The weapon was shouldered and leveled in the direction of officers, according to investigative reports.

Again, officers can be heard shouting commands for Snyder to put the weapon down and to show his hands before shots are heard and Snyder is seen falling to the ground.

FDLE Special Agent Ronnie Austin responded to the scene and noted Snyder’s body was lying on the south shoulder of U.S. 90, covered by a blue tarp. Snyder was “fully clothed and handcuffed,” according the FDLE reports.

Austin’s report stated he also observed what appeared to be a rifle on the ground to the west of the body, also covered with a tarp, and a rifle scope lying between the body and the suspected rifle.

FDLE special agents soon interviewed officers who responded to the scene, as well as civilian witnesses during the course of the six-month-long investigation.

Among those witnesses was Eddie Joe Byrd, of Chipley, who stated he called WCSO to report Snyder “wasn’t acting right,” elaborating that Snyder was incoherent and had a pellet gun. Byrd alleged Snyder told him “if the law came to get him, they would have to kill him.”

Washington County 911 records show Byrd called dispatchers twice, at 6:04 p.m. and 6:10 p.m., stating he was calling to give WCSO “a heads up” because Snyder was sitting outside with a gun “waiting for them to come pick him up” and that he “wasn’t going down without a fight.” Byrd was told during each call that there was not a warrant for Snyder’s arrest.

Snyder’s sister, Angela Sills, also was interviewed by FDLE, telling investigators her brother had been her roommate since the previous month.

Sills said Snyder recently had been arrested in Slocomb, Ala., and felt WCSO deputies would come get him. He also asked her to help him take care of some “last minute details,” including making a will because he had been “mistreated by law enforcement,” and “if they ever came after him again, they wouldn’t take him alive.”

In the final ruling, Assistant State Attorney Shalla Jefcoat stated evidence that showed Snyder was armed with a Winchester air rifle that appeared to be a real firearm.

“Mr. Snyder leveled this weapon at officers while advancing towards their position,” Jefcoat reported. “Mr. Snyder ignored repeated commands by law enforcement to drop the weapon. It appeared that Mr. Snyder was aiming the weapon at individual officers as they attempted to take cover behind their patrol vehicles.”

Florida law stipulates that to use deadly force, the danger facing law enforcement officers need not have been actual, but must have appeared so real that a reasonably cautious and prudent person under the same circumstances would have believed the danger could be avoided only through the use of force.

“The evidence clearly shows that the officers reasonably believed that Mr. Snyder was armed with an actual rifle, that he was committing an aggravated assault upon multiple officers, and the officers were in fear for their own safety as well as the safety of their fellow officers,” Jefcoat said.


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