Officer Matthew Baxter, left, and Sgt. Richard “Sam” Howard, right. (Kissimmee Police Department)
The quick and dangerous pursuit of double cop killer Everett Miller late Friday night led to a small bar where Miller possessed two handguns. As officers approached, Miller reached for his waistband when officers quickly tackled him.
After a short struggle, 45-year-old Everett Miller and the suspect in the shooting deaths of Sgt. Sam Howard and Officer Matthew Baxter, were taken into custody.
While the world has been told that American police officers randomly shoot African Americans, the true narrative is what you saw Friday night in that small bar in Florida.
Officers made the difficult decision to tackle the cop killer, who had reached for weapons, rather than a shootout in a crowded bar full of citizens.
While that was no doubt a tough decision, the decision by Governor Rick Scott on Saturday night to issue an executive order removing the prosecution from State Attorney Aramis Ayala was an easy one.
The officers were fatally shot in a district where the top prosecutor says she will no longer seek the death penalty. State Attorney Aramis Ayala announced earlier this year that she wouldn’t seek the death penalty, explaining it’s not a deterrent and it drags on for years for the victims’ relatives. The announcement came as her office was building a case against Markeith Loyd, who is charged with the fatal shooting of an Orlando Police lieutenant.
“Today, I am using my executive authority to reassign this case to State Attorney Brad King to ensure the victims of last night’s attack and their families receive the justice they deserve,” Scott said in the order.
We applaud the order and we patiently await for the next election where Ayala is replaced.