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Brevard deputy charged with second-degree murder in road-rage shooting

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A 32-year-old Brevard County sheriff’s deputy was charged with second-degree murder Tuesday in the June 19 shooting death of Clarence Mahogany X Howard, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said.

Deputy Yousef Hafza, an 11-year law enforcement veteran, was off duty at 11 a.m. on June 19 when he narrowly missed being in a crash with a vehicle in which Howard was riding, the FDLE said.

The car followed Hafza, and at some point both drivers stopped on Emerson Drive near St. John’s Heritage Parkway in Palm Bay and got out of their vehicles, investigators said.

Hafza got into a confrontation with the other driver and Howard, who was a passenger in the other car, the FDLE said.

At some point, Hafza drew a weapon and fired, killing Howard, investigators said.

The other driver was not injured.

Life has changed for Howard’s fiancee, Jessica Montanez, and her three children. Montanez said she didn’t know Hafza had been charged until Channel 9 spoke with her.

"Clarence Jr. keeps asking, 'Where's my daddy?' And I have to tell him he's in heaven. It's hard,” said Montanez. “He loves his children very much. He was a family man. He put his children first no matter what.”

Hafza was off duty at the time of the shooting. He did not identify himself as a law enforcement officer and was not acting in a law enforcement capacity, the FDLE said.

He was arrested Tuesday and charged with second-degree murder with a firearm and attempted second-degree murder with a firearm.

"I would expect him to protect and serve and not do what he did," Montanez said. "I would just like justice to be served and for him to be put away for what he's done."

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said Hafza had been relieved of duty.

“Pursuant to the arrest, Hafza was immediately suspended from our agency without pay pending an administrative review of the incident,” Ivey said.

Hafza was not arrested until later.

“Investigation of this type are always extremely difficult when it’s one of your own,” Ivey said.

Hafza was scheduled to make a first appearance in front of a judge Tuesday but he waived that right.

"Of course, he's upset and distraught over the totality of circumstances, but he's hanging in there," said Hafza's attorney, Martin White.

White said Hafza is innocent, maintaining it was self-defense.

Hafza was being held without bail at the Brevard County Jail.