Deaf man killed by deputy who believed that he was a threat. A deaf man from Florida named Edward Miller, 52, was shot six times and killed by Volusia County deputy Joel Hernandez who saw him as a threat as he sat in his SUV after having a dispute with an employee of a towing service. The man’s son also named Edward Miller tried screaming to let the cop know that his dad was deaf in vain. Hernandez took part in a deadly shooting in 2013.
On Saturday, Edward Miller, a deaf Florida man was killed by a Volusia County deputy who perceived him as a threat due to the fact that he was legally carrying a weapon, according to Examiner.
According to local media, the 52-year-old man was accompanied by his son also named Edward Miller to Fryer’s Towing Service located at 722 N Segrave St Daytona Beach, Florida to retrieve a red pick up truck.
The father and son got the truck from the towing yard and parked it in front of the company.
The deaf man and his son got into a silver SUV where several witnesses, including a Fryer’s employee heard loud talking.
The staff member of the towing service called the cops, saying that he felt unsafe due to yelling between the two men, but mainly because the young Edward Miller was seen with a gun.
In the 911 call, the worker also explained that the pair came to the company the day before and had a heated argument in front of other clients.
It is being reported that Miller Sr was rude and did not want to stand in line. Volusia County deputy Joel Hernandez and another unnamed deputy who were at the towing service for an unrelated matter were informed of the squabble between the duo.
The two deputies who were not in uniforms instructed the man to get out of the car, but he remained in the SUV and continued to shout.
According to the law enforcers, the individual was also “brandishing a firearm,” which prompted deputy Joel Hernandez to shoot the man twice through the windshield of the vehicle.
The deputy who is a Marine Corps veteran shot another four times and killed Miller on the scene. Miller’s son spoke to the media saying that his father had only 2% of hearing and; that is, the reason why he yelled when he was talking.
He went on to explain that his dad who suffered from severe hearing problems since he was a child had lost his hearing aids recently and therefore could not hear the deputy’s instructions.
The young man claimed that he tried to scream at the deputy and let him know that his father was deaf in vain. The son also revealed his father was carrying his gun permit in his pocket when he was shot and killed.
The deaf man’s widow has hired a lawyer who is not talking to the media. A spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the deputies involved in the deadly shooting have been put on administrative leave.
The authorities are investigating the shooting. Hernandez was involved in a fatal shooting last year, but his name was cleared.
A second fatal shooting for Hernandez? The majority of police go their entire careers without ever having to shoot and this idiot has killed a second person? He wasn’t even in uniform and if someone in plain clothes comes at me with a gun and starts yelling at me, I’d take my gun out too.