Broward sheriff gets into crash while responding to a shooting
Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony was a block away from the scene in Deerfield Beach Friday afternoon when two drivers got into a road rage dispute that quickly escalated. One pulled a gun and opened fire.
Bystanders scattered, some running past the sheriff, who put on his gear, called for backup — and got into a minor accident on the way to the scene, the Sheriff ’s Office confirmed Tuesday.
Tony was the first law enforcement officer to arrive, and no one was injured in the accident. But details, including whether another vehicle was involved and whether the sheriff was responsible, were not available Tuesday. The Sheriff’s Office was processing a request for formal reports about the crash.
Tony held a news conference Friday about the Deerfield Beach shooting. He described how he was a block away when it happened and was the first law enforcement officer to arrive, an account supported by a witness who was working nearby.
But Tony said nothing about a mishap on the way. The Sheriff ’s Office did not release any details about the crash other than to say no one was hurt and it took place while Tony was on his way to the shooting.
“I was actually somewhat off duty and driving by
when I saw about 20-plus people running past my vehicle,” the sheriff said. “It was clear that some kind of altercation was occurring. I got on the radio, called for backup, but I was the first officer on the scene.”
He said he put on his safety vest and grabbed his rifle before heading to the scene in the 200 block of Northeast 21st Avenue.
He praised the deputies who helped capture the suspect safely.
The shooting suspect, Antonio Lavance Chestnut, 26, was charged with attempted felony murder and remains in custody at the Broward Main Jail.
According to an arrest report, the shooting took place after Chestnut accused another driver of tailgating. Both drivers were armed. Details about the vehicles involved were not included in the arrest report, but in his news conference, Tony described the victim’s vehicle as a white pickup.
The victim told deputies
he was in an argument with Chestnut, who was walking away, when his foot slipped off the brake, causing his vehicle to lurch forward in a way that made Chestnut say he felt he was being attacked.
Chestnut told deputies he believed the victim pointed a weapon at him. While the victim admitted to being armed and reaching for his gun, he said he never got to it. Deputies found no evidence that the victim ever pointed it at Chestnut.
“Someone fired shots into a white pickup,” one 911 caller told a dispatcher.
“They have not left the scene. We are in the line of fire,” said another. “He [the shooter] went behind some buildings. We do not know where he is now.”
The victim was not wounded by gunfire but was treated for injuries from window glass that shattered.
The Broward Public Defender’s Office, which is representing Chestnut, declined to comment.