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Brevard State Attorney Phil Archer on Tuesday cleared a Melbourne police officer and a Florida Institute of Technology security guard of any criminal wrongdoing in the on-campus shooting death of an 18-year-old student in December.
Alhaji Sow, an aeronautical science sophomore from Riverdale, Ga., was killed in a chaotic confrontation with the officers in a darkened dorm room. Melbourne police had been called to the campus after a series of frantic 9-11 calls detailing students being attacked by a knife-wielding man.
Investigators said the officers entered the Campbell Hall dormitory to locate Sow. At least one witness later told officers that Sow, dressed in dark clothing, seemed erratic, saying that ‘the singularity is coming,’ reports show.
Security Officer Carlos Garcia used a master key to unlock room 106 where they believed Sow was located. Melbourne Police Officer Anthony Davis entered the darkened room and spotted Sow hiding behind a refrigerator with a skateboard covering his face. Sow, according to investigators, then lunged at Officer Davis, stabbing him in the leg with a pair of scissors. Both officers fired repeatedly, striking the 120-pound teen several times in a moment that was captured on the still-unreleased bodycam video.
A total of 18 gunshots were fired by both officers over the span of seconds, including after the student collapsed on the floor, reports show. The officers said that they decided not to wait for backup but moved to subdue Sow, not knowing if he might harm others following a spate of violent acts that night.
The state attorney — who said that Sow had taken multiple doses of LSD before the campus attacks — ruled that the use of deadly force by Davis, a five-year veteran of the Melbourne force, and Florida Tech officer Garcia was ‘lawful and justified.’
The names of the officers had been withheld from the public for the duration of the investigation. The Florida Tech security guard’s name was released by the state attorney’s office and the Melbourne Police Department released their officer’s name following Archer’s determination.
Sow’s parents could not be immediately reached for comment.
More:Parents of Florida Tech student killed during confrontation demand answers as students hold vigil
Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigators — who conduct independent investigations into officer-related shootings for most agencies — said before the shooting Sow was seen slapping a woman on the buttocks, punching another woman in the stomach, hitting cars, chasing a 9-11 caller, and making unwanted sexual advances to another student before she forced him out.
Witnesses later told investigators that the erratic behavior was uncharacteristic for Sow. Investigators said, however, that Sow had been known to take doses of LSD before and that he had taken more of the hallucinogenic drug just prior to the shooting.
“Unfortunately, the decision to engage in illegal drug use can often have tragic and sometimes fatal consequences. I believe the use of a hallucinogenic drug would have played a significant role in producing Sow’s confusing and violent behavior, including his response to law enforcement on (Florida Tech’s) campus,” Archer said.
Archer’s decision comes nearly nine months after the Dec. 3 shooting on the 4,453-student campus and after numerous discussions about the actions and the response of the Melbourne police officer’s use of deadly force, reports show. Sow’s parents – both immigrants – traveled to Melbourne from Atlanta to hold a tearful press conference days after the shooting and to question the use of force.
Over 140 students also gathered for an on-campus memorial for Sow, trading hugs and lighting candles. Some questioned the use of force after describing the sound of more than a dozen gunshots echoing through the dorm.
“I can confirm that this issue also caused concern and discussion among investigators and myself and contributed to the delay in reaching this decision,” Archer wrote in a statement.
“However, the chaos and conditions confronted by both officers in that room must be considered when determining what is reasonable,” Archer said.
More:Memorial garden set up for West Melbourne officer who died unexpectedly draws tears, reflection
Archer also said that unspecified critics might point out that the officers could have secured the hallway first and waited for backup. “But it’s not difficult to image how these same critics would have responded had an innocent student in the room been killed or injured by Sow, while (the officers) waited outside,” he said.
The Melbourne Police Department said the agency will now begin an administrative review of the incident. Officer Davis had been placed on administrative duty awaiting the outcome of the state attorney’s investigation.
The status of the Florida Tech security officer was not immediately known. Florida Tech officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
J.D. Gallop is a Criminal Justice/Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or [email protected] Twitter: @JDGallop.
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Melbourne, Florida Tech officers cleared in campus shooting by state attorney & Latest News Update
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