A 17-year-old burglary suspect was shot in Rockledge overnight by an officer after a car chase that resulted in a police cruiser being hit and the suspected getaway vehicle wrecked in a ditch, investigators said.
Police first responded to the area of Hawk and Cogswell streets just before midnight Thursday after receiving several calls from residents about two individuals breaking into cars, Rockledge Police Department spokeswoman Donna Seyferth said.
The two fled from officers in a white Toyota Corolla and at some point in the chase one of the police cruisers was hit by the suspects’ car, Seyferth said.
"Officers tried to stop that vehicle, that vehicle fled, actually striking one of their vehicles, one of our patrol cars, as it fled,” she said.
The Corolla ended up crashing into a ditch at the intersection of Hawk and Cogswell streets and when the two suspects got out of the car, one was shot by Cpl. Nick Galluzzi, a 17-year-veteran of the department, Seyferth said.
The other individual, Anthony Pierre, 15, ran away, but was caught by officers a short time later, she said.
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Rockledge police Chief Joseph LaSata released bodycamera video of the shooting Friday afternoon. He said he wanted to release the video in the interest of transparency and said the video speaks for itself.
“Nothing is more important to me than the trust of our community,” LaSata said.
“Don’t move, don’t move, don’t move,” Galluzzi said to the teen in the bodycamera video.
“Why did you shoot me?” the 17-year-old asked.
“You kept moving your hands,” Galluzi said.
“I’m scared,” the teen said.
“Just relax. We’re going to get you help. We’re going to get you help,” Galluzi said.
The 17-year-old told police he did not have a weapon on him. He was taken to Holmes Regional Medical Center, where he is expected to survive, police said.
The 17-year-old faces felony charges related to the car burglaries and pursuit, police said. The teen’s name has not been released.
Pierre was already on felony juvenile probation for car burglary.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting and Galluzzi was placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure in an officer-involved shooting, Seyferth said.
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