No charge for deputy in killing

A grand jury declined to indict the Volusia County deputy sheriff who fatally shot a 26-year-old man in March during a drug raid, the State Attorney’s Office said on Wednesday.

Narcotics investigator Todd Raible killed Derek Cruice on March after he perceived the man to be a threat during the raid at the home on Maybrook Drive in Deltona, deputies said.

Cruice, who was one of six adults at the home, was not armed.

State Attorney R.J. Larizza said the grand jury deliberated for two days and decided not to charge Raible, a 10-year veteran, with manslaughter.

“This was a tragic, tragic incident,” Larizza said. “It’s an incident that if we can turn back the clock, we would.”

Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson said in a statement the investigation started as an anonymous tip about drug activity at the home. Deputies received a search warrant and knocked on the door around 6:30 a.m.

When deputies made entry Cruice motioned as if he had a gun, and Raible feared for his life.

“Given the rapid flow of events, Investigator Raible had no more than 3-5 seconds to decide on a course of action,” Johnson wrote in the statement. “Unless put in that same position, no one can possibly know what that’s like.”

Johnson

called

the

incident tragic and unfortunate, but Cruice’s actions were legal.

During a search of the house, investigators recovered approximately 217 grams of marijuana, a scale, a drug ledger, marijuana smoking pipes, plastic bags and about $3,000 in cash.

Larizza said there was conflicting statements from witnesses about Cruice’s death which sparked protests with his supporters saying he posed no threat to the deputy.

Cruice’s family was in the courtroom when the decision was announced.

“I know there is nothing I can say to them or for them that would make them feel any better,” Larizza said.

dharris@tribune.com