Passerby Who Killed Man Attacking Cop Learns His Fate
Note: we are republishing this story, which originally made the news in February 2017.
A bystander who fatally shot a man attacking a Florida sheriff’s deputy will not be charged with any crimes.
The State Attorney’s Office has officially exonerated Ashad Russell, according to reports from the Daily Mail.
Russell, 35, intervened to assist Lee County Sheriff’s Deputy First Class Dean Bardes when he witnessed Edward Strother assaulting the deputy on Interstate 75.
Bardes had stopped Strother for speeding. Strother, 53, then allegedly assaulted Bardes, pinning him to the ground and striking him multiple times.
Russell, who possesses a concealed weapons permit, was armed when he exited his vehicle to provide assistance. Bardes, noticing that Russell was carrying a firearm, directed him to shoot Strother. After issuing several warnings for Strother to release Bardes, Russell shot him three times in the neck, resulting in his death.
Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott commended Russell in a Facebook post:
I express my gratitude to the hero who identified the imminent danger, hurried to Deputy Bardes’ assistance, and ultimately neutralized that threat. In an era where race often becomes an immediate focal point for the media and various commentators in police-related incidents, it is important to note that this hero is a man of color who intervened to prevent another man of color from inflicting further harm or potentially killing a white officer; thus reminding us that black lives matter, blue lives matter, and indeed, all lives matter.
Following a thorough review of the case, the State Attorney’s Office concluded that Russell was “justified in employing deadly force when he reasonably believed that such force was necessary to avert imminent death or serious bodily injury to Deputy Dean Bardes or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony against Deputy Bardes. Our agency’s review is now complete, and no additional action will be taken by this office based on the facts presented in this investigation and the relevant law.”
Louis Strother, the brother of the deceased, expressed a differing opinion, which was highlighted by The Washington Post. “Are they referring to him as a good Samaritan?” he questioned. “Was my brother armed?