Passerby Who Killed Man Attacking Cop Learns His Fate

Note: this story, which first appeared in the news in February 2017, is being republished.

There will be no criminal charges brought against the bystander who shot and killed a man who was assaulting a Florida sheriff’s deputy.

According to the Daily Mail, Ashad Russell has been officially cleared by the State Attorney’s Office.

When Russell, 35, witnessed Edward Strother assaulting Lee County Sheriff’s Deputy First Class Dean Bardes on Interstate 75, he intervened to save the deputy.

Strother had been stopped by bardes for speeding. After that, Strother, 53, allegedly attacked Bardes, punching him repeatedly and pinning him to the road.

When Russell got out of his car to assist, he was armed and had a concealed weapons license. Apparently noticing that Russell was armed, Bardes gave him the order to shoot Strother. Strother was repeatedly told to get off Barnes, but Russell killed him by shooting him three times in the neck.

Russell was commended by Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott in a Facebook post:

Russell was “justified in using deadly force when he reasonably believed that the use of such force was necessary to prevent imminent death or great harm,” the SAO concluded after reviewing the case.

bodily harm to Deputy Dean Bardes or to stop Deputy Bardes from being the victim of an impending forcible felony. Based on the information provided by this investigation and the relevant legislation, our agency review is closed, and this office will not take any further action.

The Washington Post mentioned the dissenting opinion expressed by the deceased’s brother, Louis Strother. He questioned, “They’re calling him a good Samaritan?” “Did my brother have a gun?”

Sources: The Washington Post and the Daily Mail