What's next? The latest on the June 3 officer-involved shooting at Home Depot in Ocala
Earlier this month, a man was fatally shot during a confrontation with Ocala Police Department officers in a store parking lot.
The officers have been removed from their regular law enforcement duties until the investigation is complete, as is standard procedure in such cases.
Here's the latest on what we know so far:
What happened?
According to OPD, shortly before 9 a.m. on June 3 a woman called a dispatcher about her son making suicidal threats. She said he was at the Home Depot parking lot, 3300 SW 35th Terrace, located off State Road 200 near Interstate 75.
The concerned mother gave the dispatcher a description of her son and his vehicle.
Officers were sent to the scene. When they arrived, they approached the vehicle in an attempt to speak with the man. Police officials said they tried talking with him, but he "presented a handgun and fired."
Officers returned fire, hitting the man, who died in the parking lot. The officers were not injured.
Officers later identified the man as Robert Francisco Gonzalez, 41. Three officers were involved in the shooting, officials said.
What did witnesses say?
Interviewed by Star-Banners reporters, witnesses said they saw and heard Gonzalez yelling on the phone while sitting in a white sedan minutes before the shooting. At least two witnesses said they overheard Gonzalez telling the person on the phone he was not going to follow procedure, and "they're going to have to kill me."
A witness said the officers tried to get the man out of the car. That same witness said when the man got out of the car, he was armed and fired first at the officers. The witness said the officers were not at fault.
Other witnesses said they heard multiple shots. After the shooting, evidence technicians set out numerous small yellow markers in the parking lot.
What do we know about Robert Gonzalez?
Court records show Gonzalez had a number of traffic offenses on his record, such as speeding, not wearing a seatbelt and having an expired tag. Other charges included possession of cannabis less than 20 grams and disorderly conduct.
Previous OPD shootings
The last Ocala police officer fatal shooting was in January 2017, when 54-year-old Kevin Tree was shot and killed at the former Holiday Inn Express, now the Comfort Inn, at 1212 S. Pine Ave. Three officers were involved in that case.
Prosecutors later cleared the officers, saying their actions were justified. Reports state Tree pointed a gun at the officers, who opened fire defending themselves. The officers went to the hotel because Tree had threatened to commit suicide, officials said.
In December 2016 Jonathan Michael Rollins was wounded by an officer inside a local hospital. Police officials said Rollins, armed with a pair of scissors, had a woman in a choke hold.
The officer was not prosecuted. A convicted felon, Rollins was sentenced to prison for robbery in 2017. His release date is set for February 2045.
Which lawyer is representing the officers?
Jimmie Sparrow, a local defense lawyer, former police officer, detective and prosecutor, is representing the officers in the Home Depot shooting. He said his clients are doing as well as they can under the circumstances.
He said the officers are on paid administrative leave during the investigation. Sparrow said the officers can return to work at some point, but it will depend on OPD leadership. By policy, the officers can return to work, but only in an administrative role pending the completion of the Internal Affairs investigation.
Police officials are not releasing the officers' names at this time.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement's involvement
The shooting is being investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, as is standard. Its report will be sent to the State Attorney's Office for review.
"Our investigation is limited to the shooting incident itself. FDLE agents compile a comprehensive report and provide that to the state attorney’s office, who determines whether the use of force was justified," FDLE said in a statement.
Lawyers at the SAO said they're awaiting the FDLE and autopsy reports so they can get a total understanding of what happened. Once they have all the information, prosecutors will determine whether the use of deadly force was justified.
OPD's investigation
OPD eventually will complete its own investigation, determining whether any policy or procedures were violated in this case. If there were any violations, then a disciplinary review board would recommend disciplinary action.
An internal shooting review board will analyze the case in an effort to improve the department's training program, policies, procedures, rules and regulations. That board will submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the chief of police.
Contact Austin L. Miller at [email protected] or @almillerosb
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Next steps: What's happening in the June 3 officer-involved shooting
