The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has cleared the Sebastian Police Department’s three officers involved in a shoot-out with a wanted felon at Earl’s Hideway last October.
Ward Kenyon
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
The officers attempted to arrest Ward Kenyon, 28, of Micco, on a violation of probation warrant. Kenyon resisted, which resulted in shots being exchanged between Kenyon and police.
Both Kenyon and an officer sustained shooting wounds.
In the months following the non-lethal shooting, FDLE was called upon to independently and impartial investigate the incident and the officers’ use of force, according to Sebastian Police Chief Michelle Morris.
“They have concluded that there is no violation of law,” Chief Morris said during a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
She said that while the report clears her department of any wrongdoing, the Sebastian Police Department will conduct an administrative review to determine “if there are any issues under agency policy and if there are any lessons to be learned.”
Chief Morris addressed the comments made to the media and circulated through social media following the shooting that questioned the police officers’ decision to make an arrest of a known violent felon in a bar full of patrons.
“Ward Kenyon’s actions solely created this situation and forced the officers to react to protect themselves and the public,” Chief Morris said. “When he stopped presenting a threat, they stopped applying force and rendered first aid.”
Critics questioned why police entered the bar rather than waited for Kenyon to leave.
“They would be the first to criticize us if he had injured or killed someone while we sat down the street waiting for him to leave, or ridiculed us had he killed someone or himself during a pursuit,” the chief said, adding that in the weeks leading up to the shoot-out at Earl’s, Officer Tegpreet Singh had attempted to arrest Kenyon who ultimately fled in a vehicle, crashed and fled on foot.
Ofc. Singh was the officer injured in the shoot-out. He sustained a gunshot wound to the foot but, according to Chief Morris, investigators were unable to determine if the round came from Kenyon’s gun or from friendly fire.
Ofc. Singh continues to recover and is on light duty. He is expected to return to regular duties in the next few months, the Chief said.
“They not only dealt with deadly force (Kenyon) presented,” Chief Morris said, “but they also surrounded him to protect the patrons from danger. These officers did a heroic job and put their own lives in harm’s way.”
Once FDLE’s investigation was completed, the agency turned the evidence and findings over to the State Attorney’s Office, which determined the officers “were justified in their use of force.”
Previous Coverage
- New details on shooting of cop at Earl’s Hideaway
- Man accused in chase before Earl’s shooting
- State probes Earl’s Hideaway shootout with cops
- 8 new charges for Earl’s Hideaway shootout suspect
