MIRAMAR, Fla. – Police are investigating the fatal shooting of a man who was trying to warn his neighbor that his car was being repossessed. Investigators said the repossession agent was the shooter.
It happened around midnight Wednesday in the 2700 block of Southwest 62nd Street.
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"He lost his life just trying to be a good neighbor," said neighbor Abigail Shaw, referring to Jewell Williams.
Blood marks the spot on a white concrete driveway where the 25-year-old father of two died.
Accounts of the incident differ. Police said Williams came to alert the neighbor that his car was being repossessed. He exchanged words with the repo man and then gunfire erupted. The repo man told cops that Williams shot first.
"According to his statement, he didn't have his gun at that point in time. He had to go into his vehicle to retrieve his firearm," said Miramar police spokeswoman Tania Rues.
But witnesses claimed the repo man was the aggressor. They said he threatened to stun bystanders with a Taser and called them dogs. Witness Ricky Charles said the car was already hooked up to the truck, but instead of leaving, the repo man reacted when Williams yelled something at him from down the street.
"He leave the truck and run. The youth man was going home. He was going home back to his house. The wrecker man leave from down there and run towards him. That is when I heard the shots fired," Charles said.
It's unclear who fired first, but Williams was the only man who was shot. Family members said he was licensed to carry a concealed weapon, but they refuse to believe he intended to use it last night.
"Everybody will tell you, Jewell is a peaceful, humble guy," Shaw said.
Police have not identified the repossession agent. They said he is cooperating with the investigation, and so far no charges have been filed.
Florida's Stand Your Ground law allows a person to use deadly force in self-defense if they "reasonably believes" they are going to be hurt.