PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office held a news conference on Thursday to detail the findings of their investigation into the shooting death of Sgt. Elio Diaz last Sunday.
WATCH BELOW TO SEE WHAT LED UP TO THE DEADLY SHOOTING:
Helping a homeless man: An hour before the shooting:
Sgt. Diaz first attempted to help Andrew Mostyn Jr after realizing that he was homeless and his car was uninsured, according to Sheriff Bill Prummell.
Sgt. Diaz was conducting a traffic stop at the Chevron gas station located on Tamiami Trail in Port Charlotte, across the street from the Sunseeker Resort.
The sheriff says just after 3 p.m., Sgt. Elio Diaz was traveling northbound on the U.S. 41 bridge in Punta Gorda.
He says Diaz ran the license plate on a white pickup truck which returned a "FR Suspension" on the driver. An FR Suspension is a financial responsibility - indicating that the insurance on the truck lapsed or there never was insurance on the vehicle.
You can watch the entire news conference here:
The truck pulled into the gas station, and Sgt Diaz initiated a traffic stop.
Sheriff Prummell described the suspect's encounter with Diaz as "cordial" and no weapons were visible at the time of their encounter.
The two interacted for more than an hour.
Diaz learned that the 24-year-old suspect was homeless and living out of the truck.
"Elio was working with him to try and contact the insurance company to try and get his insurance reinstated so we would not have to tow that truck, and all the property that was in it because his entire life was in it," the sheriff said.
The shooting and moments after:
"He had no chance," the sheriff said.
Diaz was working in his car, and eventually returned back to the truck. As he called out to the Mostyn, the sheriff says Mostyn retrieved a rifle from his truck and shot Sgt. Diaz.
As Diaz fell, Prummell says Mostyn kept walking toward the sergeant while he was laying on the ground. The sheriff's office says the suspect fired at least 10 shots, and Sgt. Diaz was hit multiple times.
Prummell says Diaz had no time to fire back.
Mostyn drove away from the scene in his truck.
Sgt. Diaz was taken to the hospital and later died.
The search that followed:
A multi-agency manhunt was launched for Mostyn. Investigators say he switched out a Florida license plate for a Georgia tag on his truck and put on a ballistic vest.
The vest was armed with Level 3 steel plates on the front, back and sides, according to the sheriff.
About an hour after Diaz was shot, the shooter's pickup truck was located in a Popeye's parking lot near I-75 and Kings Highway by Corporal Nate Edwards.
He called for backup and Deputy Andrea Short was a minute away.
Click here to watch the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office video of the encounter:
Deputy Short was the first to respond. The sheriff says Edwards and Short drew their weapons and ordered the driver to show his hands.
They say Mostyn did not comply.
The sheriff says Deputy Short saw Mostyn make an "overt movement" as he was holding the rifle.
At that moment, Short fired her gun. Mostyn was shot in the head and later died.
The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office provided dashcam video from a deputy's perspective, showing the shell casing roll down the windshield after the single shot.
Body-worn camera footage from a second deputy also shows video of the suspect's "overt movement" to grab a gun.
Investigators later discovered that there were 18 rounds in the magazine, and one in the chamber, according to the sheriff.
"The firearm that he used was a Romarm SAR-1, which was lying in his lap, and he used .762 rounds, which were full metal jacket," Prummell said.
Inside of the truck:
"The shooter in this case was prepared and ready for a fight," Sheriff Bill Prummell said.
He says there was "well over a thousand rounds of ammunition", loaded magazines, a crossbow, two gas masks and two additional rifles in the shooter's truck.
Some of the guns were a bolt-action rifle .22, a semi-automatic rifle with a scope — a .556, and the one used to kill Diaz.
The photos also show knives, a gun cleaning kit, ear protection and more.
The armored vest also contained pouches with a loaded magazine, a trauma kit and a med kit, according to the sheriff.
"Andrea (Deputy Short) stopped what could've been a potential blood bath. In my book, she's a frickin' hero," Sheriff Prummell said.
The gun used in the shooting was purchased in Pennsylvania back in 1999 and was traded to a dealer in Orlando, but they are working to confirm that.
Deputies are working to learn more about how the shooter got the weapons.
About the shooter:
"They believe he's got a mental health issue. They know that he's taking drugs. But they sat on their a** and did absolutely nothing," Prummell sais sternly.
He said Mostyn's criminal history is minimal - mostly out of Georgia - including a couple DUIs, marijuana possession and an obstruction charge.
Prummell said they're trying to figure out how he got the firearms.
"Possession usually keeps you from possessing or purchasing any firearms," he said. "But if you go to a swap meet or something like that, you can easily get one."
They talked to Mostyn's family to get a better idea of his state of mind and background.
"From what we've learned from the mother, she said that he self-medicates and also becomes manic," Prummell said.
The sheriff also said the shooter's mother confirmed that her son uses hallucinogens. The sheriff says investigators found packets of mushrooms in the truck.
While a toxicology report is pending, the department says there is no indication that the shooter was under the influence.
Sheriff Prummell says there is no confirmation of mental health issues at this time. The details they've received are from the shooter's family.
"His mother also stated that the shooter had a dislike towards law enforcement," he said.
Prummell says she told deputies that this is related to an alleged past incident with the shooter's father as a child in which "he feels like he did not protect him."
The sheriff's office says the shooter was working in Charlotte County doing construction work and hurricane restoration.
He also has a grandmother and uncle who live in Englewood.
Prummell says investigators have also potentially found a homeless camp in the area, where he might have been staying.
"They knew he had weapons. They did absolutely nothing, and that was the result. People need to speak up," Prummell said.
The sheriff has been an advocate for mental health services. He says he's been working with legislators to get legislation passed and ot "make our system care better for everybody."
What comes next:
Charlotte County Sheriff's Office's Major Crime Unit is conducting the investigation. Those findings will be turned over to the State Attorney's Office for review.
"We're going to make sure that everybody's taken care of both mentally and physically," he said.
Per protocol, Deputy Short is on administrative leave.
Prummell acknowledged his entire team for their work, support for the family and all of those preparing for Sgt. Diaz's memorial service and funeral.
