Grand jury clears officers in fatal shootings
5 St. Lucie County sheriff ’s deputies, city cop cleared.
Officers for two St. Lucie Count y law- enforcement agencies were cleared by grand juries this week in separate police-involved shooting cases.
On T hu r s d ay, a g r a n d jury ruled that five St. Lucie County Sheriff ’s Office deputies were justified in the September shooting death of Joshua Scott at his home in Port St. Lucie. A grand jury on Wednesday also cleared a Port St. Lucie police officer in the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Samson Fleurant in November.
“While any loss of life is tragic, I appreciate the brave actions taken by my deputies that night to keep themselves and our community safe,” St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara said Thursday. “Our thoughts continue to be with the Scott family and our hope is that today’s decision can help them continue down the road to peace and closure.”
St. Lucie Count y Assistant State Attorney Jeff Hendricks, who submitted the evidence in the Fleurant shooting investigation, said he would respect the grand jury’s decision.
“T h e S t a t e At t o r n e y ’s O f f i c e me t w i t h t h e S t . Lucie Count y grand jur y over a period of two days in this matter,” he said. “I’m impressed with the focus and attention to detail the grand jury had in this matter.”
Sheriff ’s investigators say Scott barric aded himself inside his home for more than six hours after deputies attempted to issue a court order to force him undergo a mental health evaluation. According to the authorities, he fired five shots from inside the house, then climbed out a window and aimed at SWAT members, who shot him dead.
In Port St. Lucie, city police investigators alleged that Fleurant wielded a machete and made threats as officers responded to a domestic disturbance at his home in the 600 block of Southwest Colleen Avenue. Officer Kenneth Frid attempted to subdue Fleurant by firing a Taser, but the weapon proved ineffective, police said.
Fleurant was ultimately shot and killed by Officer Colin Duncombe, a veteran of nearly two decades.