Florida Deputy Shot, Killed by Prisoner Being Transported to Court

[Greg]

Shot Broward deputy is dead; suspect still at large | Miami Herald

Posted on Wed, Nov. 07, 2007

By WANDA J. DeMARZO, BREANNE GILPATRICK AND MARTIN MERZER
The Broward Sheriff's deputy shot earlier Wednesday during an escape by a career criminal is dead. The suspect remains at large. All Broward public and charter schools -- and many private schools -- are still locked down.

Sheriff Al Lamberti announced the death at 11:30 a.m. He identified the deputy as Paul Rein, 76, a 20-year veteran.

Lamberti said Rein spoke with his wife 10 minutes before the shooting. Rein is the third Broward deputy shot in the line of duty this year and the second to die. One Miami-Dade officer was shot dead and three were wounded during an incident in September.

''Unfortunately, the sheriff's office suffered another catastrophe today,'' Lamberti said. ``We lost another deputy this morning.''

Law enforcement officers found the jail transport van involved in Wednesday's shooting, but the suspect -- identified as Michael Mazza, 40, of Coral Springs -- remains at large, is armed and may be joined by one or more accomplices, police said.

Police are looking for Michael Mazza, the man they believe shot a BSO deputy Wednesday morning.

All 283 public schools and charter schools and many private schools in Broward County are on lockdown. Parents were advised to stay away from the schools until the situation is resolved.

Rein's service weapon is missing and police believe Mazza is carrying it.

''As long as he's on the loose and armed, he's dangerous,'' Lamberti said of Mazza.

The van -- an ambulance-style vehicle with visible blood splatter stains just behind the driver's side door -- was found behind a Flanagan's restaurant at 2600 Davie Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale.

Mazza apparently called for a taxi from that area and was taken to Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, where his mother lives, police said.

Officers now are looking for a white, four-door Nissan Altima with the license tag W84-QZY.

Police and deputies with tracking dogs were gathering around the neighborhood near that restaurant to search for Mazza and anyone who might have assisted him.

''It's possible he may have had help from the outside,'' said Eliott Cohen, a BSO spokesman.

Police said Mazza -- who was handcuffed -- somehow overpowered the Broward jail transport deputy about 8 a.m., shot him with his own service weapon and then dumped him in the parking lot of a Pompano Beach strip club at 1401 Powerline Rd.

Andrew Feirstein, a Broward School District spokesman, said every public and charter school in the county is on lockdown status as the search continues.

At North Broward Medical Center, a line of yellow crime scene tape cordoned off the emergency room entrance. Several marked and unmarked white BSO cruisers lined the circular driveway.

Shortly before 10:30 a.m., BSO deputies escorted two family members through a side entrance. They walked past a BSO van with a poster taped to the windshield -- a reward poster that seeks information in the killing earlier this year of Deputy Chris Reyka.

A few minutes later, Lamberti arrived at the hospital, stopping briefly to speak quietly with a growing crowd of deputies.

Mazza was being driven to court Wednesday morning when he overpowered the deputy and sped off in the van, police say.

Mazza uses a wheelchair -- or was using one while he was being transported. The reason was not immediately clear.

He has a tattoo on his left chest -- a heart that says, ``Break this bitch.''

Tatiana Levy, 23, of Pompano Beach, was sitting at a bus stop just south of Powerline Road and Martin Luther King Boulevard when she saw a white van driving erratically, even swerving onto sidewalks. The back doors were open, she said, and there was a wheelchair inside.

Mazza was facing hard time.

Last year, police said, Mazza robbed a Bank of America branch in Coral Springs and then, while being pursued by police, ran into a car containing two women. He has a long history of armed robberies.

A jury was selected in his bank robbery case Tuesday and testimony had begun.

''All the witnesses are freaking out,'' said prosecutor Heather Henricksen. ``My witnesses are terrified.''

In Coral Springs, police blocked off the neighborhood surrounding his residence in a beige and white colored town house at 9821 NW 56th Pl.

''I saw eight SWAT team members fully geared going into the complex around 10 o'clock,'' said Amy Arsenault, 43, a travel agent who watched the scene from a nearby shopping center.

Eight police cars blocked the entrance to the houses. Police had also set up a command post.

''It's a scary situation,'' said Pablo Teran, 41, who lives nearby. ``People think they can shoot police and get away with it.

''What's scarier is that I live in such a nice neighborhood and that one of the people I probably say hello to was the guy who shot the cop,'' Teran said.

Shortly after the shooting, sheriff's cruisers flooded the area, as did helicopters from multiple law enforcement agencies. Traffic was being diverted around the area. All BSO transport vans were being stopped and searched.

The location of the shooting is just outside Diamond Dolls, a Pompano Beach strip club.

A massive contingent of deputies, some with tears in their eyes, gathered there Wednesday. Just before 9 a.m., a group of deputies donned flak jackets and rushed out, destination unknown.

Police cars from various departments lined Interstate 95 in Broward County, clustered at the exits, looking out for the transport van.

For the Broward Sheriff's Office, it has been a painful three months.

One deputy, Maury Hernandez, was shot and gravely wounded Aug. 6 while making a routine traffic stop in Pembroke Park. He was recently released from the hospital but faces a long, painful recovery.

Four days later, Reyka was shot and killed while checking the parking lot of a Walgreens at 960 Powerline Rd., not far from Wednesday's shooting. Reyka's killer has not been found.

In September, Miami-Dade patrolman Jose Somohano was shot dead with an assault rifle and three colleagues were wounded in the Sea Pines neighborhood in Naranja. Twelve hours alter, SWAT officers shot and killed the suspect, Shawn LaBeet, in Pembroke Pines.

Herald staff writers Roberto Santiago, Nirvi Shah and Trenton Daniel contributed to this report.


© 2007 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved.
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[anMP5sits]

Just posted this same news clip. Please disregard my posting of it. Anyway, from what I gather, this corrections deputy appeared to be transporting this prisoner alone. If so, I'm convinced the prisoner would not have been so quick to challenge the deputy, had he had a partner. Terrible news regardless..

[robeans]

There is a posting on officer.com from a Broward DO who worked with this guy. This is incredible tragic and my heart goes out to the family, friends, and coworkers of the Officer.

Sadly this is the second time this year we have seen a brother CO/DO die because of bad policies and bad decisions of the administrators.

[Arkimedes]

My heart and prayers go out to the Officer's family. Anytime a CO/DO is killed it's heartwrenching. When it's a home state Officer, it becomes a lot more personal.

[Custodian]

I heard about this at work, one of the higher ups [he's 51] said at 76, he should have not been transporting/escorting prisoners with or without a partner. He also said sometimes you gotta know when to get out of the game before you get played. What do you guys think? Is being 76 years old too old for that situation/working without a partner and/or transporting a prisoner or just this job altogether?

[KSDog]

Time to fire up Ol' Sparky! Prayers to his family and his department.

[Hack]

+1. Prayers enroute.

[castone1]

First of all my heart is with the family!!!!
As for the Inmate florida is pretty good at getting revenge. If he's caught he will fry!!!
As for 76 years old. Its hard enough when your young to wrestle these guys I don't want to try it at 76.