- An Instacart driver got lost at a grocery delivery and was shot for driving to the wrong address.
- The Florida owner claims he fired after the driver’s car ran over his foot.
- The Broward County State’s Attorney has ordered a police investigation.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida prosecutor ordered an investigation after a homeowner fired up a couple’s car when they wandered onto his property while making a high-rise Instacart delivery. hours of the night Police closed the case without consulting the state attorney’s office.
No one was injured in the shooting in an upscale Fort Lauderdale suburb, but it is the latest in a series of similar shootings across the US One person has been killed and others seriously injured. In this case, the shooter told police the car was being driven erratically, hit his leg, and made them fear for him and his son.
Broward County State’s Attorney Harold Pryor released a statement saying police investigators never contacted his office about the April 15 shooting in Southwest Ranches that put at least two bullets in the car driven by Waldes Thomas. Jr., 19, who was with his 18 girlfriend of two years, Diamond Darville.
Pryor said his staff members were unaware of the shooting until a reporter for WTVJ-TV contacted them Friday and interviewed the couple. The Davie Police Department contracts with Southwest Ranches to provide the service.
“I have contacted the Davie Police Department to request a full investigation,” Pryor said Friday, adding that his prosecutors will decide whether to file charges.
Davie police declined to comment on Sunday but released the lead detective’s report. He wrote that without any video, he couldn’t determine if the shooter or the couple committed a crime.
“Each party appeared justified in its actions based on its perceived circumstances,” the report concluded.
The shooting occurred on an unlit street in a semi-rural neighborhood at a home located on two acres.
According to the police report, Thomas and Darville got lost while delivering groceries for Instacart shortly before 10 p.m. The address they were looking for is across the street.
The shooter and the couple gave investigators conflicting reports about what happened next.
The homeowner told officers that he asked his 12-year-old son to tell the driver to leave, but he soon heard the boy yell for help. The father said he saw the car driving erratically, hitting logs and rocks, so he told his son to run.
He said the car then drove towards him and ran over his foot. Saying that he feared for his life and his son’s life, the man drew his pistol and fired at the car’s tires, but sped away from him. He called the police.
An officer found Thomas and Darville parked nearby. When he asked what happened, they replied: “We just got shot.” He said Darville was crying and Thomas seemed “extremely nervous and scared.” The officer said there were two bullet holes in the car’s bumper and that a tire was flat.
The couple told police they thought they were at the right house and tried to leave after the boy told them no. Thomas said he put the car in reverse and hit a rock, which is when the shooter “aggressively” approached. That’s when Thomas said he heard shots and walked away. Darville said he saw the shooter draw his gun and fire.
“I said, ‘We have to go, we have to go,'” Darville told WTVJ. “I was scared, I’m not going to lie.” She did not respond to a phone call or email from The Associated Press.
The AP is not naming the property’s resident because he has not been charged with any crime. His phone rang unanswered and he did not return a text message on Sunday seeking comment.
Police say the gun was returned to the shooter after closing the case.
