TITUSVILLE, Fla. (WFLA) — The lethal capturing of a 25-year-old by Titusville cops was “lawful and justified,” State Lawyer William Scheiner stated Tuesday.
Tri-Marea Charles was shot and killed by Titusville Law enforcement officials on the night of February 7, 2025. The capturing sparked protests across the metropolis and outcry from Charles’ family and friends.
In a letter to the Florida Division of Regulation Enforcement, Scheiner stated using deadly power was justified, citing a Florida statute that claims lethal power is lawful if an officer “fairly believes that utilizing or threatening to make use of such power is critical to stop imminent loss of life or nice bodily hurt.”
He goes on to element the sequence of occasions that occurred the evening Charles was killed.
The residence the place the capturing occurred, he stated, was recognized to police “as a location the place firearm possession and discharge, underage alcohol consumption, fights and normal drug exercise had just lately occurred.”
Officers discovered of a celebration happening on the residence, which prompted a proactive patrol of the world, and one officer heard photographs fired.
Upon the arrival of a number of officers, Charles entered the house and was seen within the again by an officer via the window. He was instructed to “cease” and “come outdoors,” the letter stated.
Charles then rushes via the residence and out the entrance door, pushing previous a number of individuals standing on the porch. He journeys and falls, and a firearm with an prolonged journal fell from his waistband onto the sidewalk.
One of many officers who fired at Charles, Xzevies Baez, begins to yell that “he is bought a gun,” whereas the firearm is on the sidewalk. Charles tries to push previous Baez and swings a closed fist towards him.
Scheiner says Charles then picks up the firearm he dropped and begins to run within the path of one other officer, Corporal Zachary Blougouras.
Baez continues yelling that Charles has a gun, after which begins firing at him whereas he runs away from Baez, towards Blougouras, earlier than starting to cross the road, away from each officers.
Each Baez and Blougouras fireplace at Charles as he runs throughout the road, earlier than he drops the firearm within the driveway of a neighboring house.
Scheiner stated within the letter that Baez started firing at Charles inside two seconds of him choosing up the firearm and estimated that Baez fired his weapon 16 instances. Blougouras fired his weapon thrice.
The medical expert famous that Charles had 10 gunshot wounds, the order of which is unknown.
Charles’ accidents:
- Gunshot wound (GSW) to left calf, touring entrance to again
- Two GSWs to left buttock, touring again to entrance
- GSW to proper hip, touring again to entrance
- GSW to proper shoulder, touring again to entrance
- GSW to proper shoulder, touring proper to left
- GSW to left shoulder, touring again to entrance
- GSW to left elbow, touring again to entrance
- GSW to the correct elbow, touring from the skin of his arm to the within
- Grazing GSW to the correct entrance thigh, undetermined path of journey
Scheiner stated {that a} vital truth in his willpower was that Charles rearms himself after dropping the gun, and does so after swinging a fist towards one of many officers.
“The conduct of Mr. Charles represented an lively resistance with violence to being taken into custody,” Scheiner wrote. “This truth evidenced a transparent and current hazard to not solely the officers however others within the space, prompting using power by every officer.”
The Titusville Police Division stated in a Fb publish that Charles’ household shall be allowed to view the physique digicam footage on Thursday, June 12, earlier than they’re launched to the general public on June 13.
