Passerby Who Killed Man Attacking Cop Learns His Fate
Note: We are republishing this story, which originally made the news in February 2017.
A Florida man who intervened during a violent struggle between a sheriff’s deputy and a motorist will not face criminal charges, according to officials.
The incident unfolded on Interstate 75, where Lee County Sheriff’s Deputy First Class Dean Bardes had stopped 53-year-old Edward Strother for speeding. Authorities say Strother then attacked Bardes, pinning him to the ground and striking him repeatedly.
That’s when 35-year-old Ashad Russell, who holds a concealed weapons license, stepped in. Witnesses reported that Bardes, noticing Russell’s firearm, called out for help and urged him to shoot. After issuing several warnings for Strother to stop, Russell fired three shots into Strother’s neck, killing him.