ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA, Fla. — An off-duty Edgewater police officer was shot and killed in what Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood described as a “cold-blooded assassination” inside a Circle K gas station, FOX 35 reported.
The officer, identified as David Jewell, was reportedly waiting in line to buy a hot dog around 4 p.m. at the gas station when he was ambushed by a store clerk.
According to Chitwood, an employee at the store, exited the building as Jewell entered. The man retrieved a jacket from a white car parked outside, then returned to the store and walked up behind Jewell. Surveillance video, cited by Chitwood during a press conference, shows the man opening fire from behind, striking Jewell multiple times.
The sheriff said the suspect’s weapon appeared to jam after the initial shots. He cleared the malfunction and fired again, even as Jewell lay on the ground. Between 10 and 15 rounds were reportedly fired in total.
Jewell and the suspect knew each other, Chitwood said, though the nature of their relationship remains unclear. Jewell lived nearby and was a frequent customer at the store.
The motive for the attack remains under investigation.
“Why this occurred is what we’re trying to figure out. But, this was clearly, clearly — the video shows this was an out-and-out assassination,” Chitwood said.
Jewell, who joined the Edgewater Police Department in 2023, previously worked in the communications unit for the Volusia Sheriff’s Office. In 2020, he was named Telecommunicator of the Quarter for his calm and professional handling of a serious traffic crash involving two critically injured children, according to the report.
“David was a guy that you could rely on for anything,” said Acting Edgewater Police Chief Charles Geiger. “You’d never hear a bad thing about him.”
Sheriff Chitwood called the surveillance footage “one of the most evil videos I’ve ever seen.”
The suspect was arrested at the scene and is expected to face multiple charges, including first-degree murder. Additional details about the charges and prosecution are expected in the coming days.
The Edgewater Police Department, Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement are all assisting in the investigation. A motive for the shooting has not yet been released.
