A Charlotte County, Florida, Sheriff’s deputy was killed Sunday afternoon during a traffic stop. The suspect was killed by deputies at a nearby restaurant.
Florida Deputy Killed by Rifle Wielding Suspect at Traffic Stop
When deputies approached, the suspect "immediately grabbed for a rifle," at which time a deputy shot him in the head, the sheriff said. The suspect died after being flown to a hospital.
by Staff
December 16, 2024
Cpl. Elio Diaz at this year's Shop With A Cop program. It was "an event for which he eagerly signed up each year. His love for his career, the people he served, and the people he served beside was unparallelled," the sheriff's office said.
Credit:
Charlotte County SO/Facebook
About 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, Charlotte County Cpl. Elio Diaz was shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop Sunday afternoon at a Chevron gas station in Charlotte County, Sheriff Bill Prummell said during a news conference Sunday night.
During the stop, a 24-year-old man pulled out a rifle and opened fire on Diaz, according to Prummell. Diaz was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died, the News-Press reports.
Prummell said the suspect fled the scene after shooting Diaz and a manhunt ensued. He was later found "not far away" at a Popeyes restaurant in Punta Gorda.
When deputies approached him, Prummell said the suspect "immediately grabbed for a rifle," at which time a deputy shot him in the head. The suspect, later identified as 24-year-old Andrew Mostyn Jr., died after being flown to a hospital.
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