DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A Daytona Beach Police Department officer is recovering from a gunshot to the right shoulder on Sunday night after citizens came to his aid, authorities stated.
- Officer Kevin Hird was shot with AK-47 bullet
- Alleged shooter Raymond Roberts faces several charges
At around 10:52 p.m., police responded to a call of a person wielding a rifle at the intersection of Martin Luther King Boulevard and South Street, according to police in a news release.
Once police arrived and confronted the 40-year-old Raymond Roberts, he began shooting at them, stated authorities.
Police then returned fire but Roberts was not injured and taken into custody at George and Marion streets, authorities confirmed.
Police say a couple of citizens rushed over and applied pressure to Officer Kevin Hird's injured right arm before he was taken to the Halifax Health Medical Center.
Daytona Police Chief Craig Capri came to the center, where he chatted with the wounded Hird.
Capri says that the officer is in good spirits, sitting up and even joking around.
Hird had surgery to repair a shattered arm bone, and he will have another surgery Wednesday to make sure there are no other issues, Capri said. But Hird is expected to make a full recovery.
"That's a miracle. God was looking out for us last night," Capri said. "It also comes into play with our training and tactics. We are trained to do this. We hope we never have to confront a suspect or pull our weapon out."
According to his arrest record, Roberts has been arrested multiple times for violent crimes and drugs and even spent time in prison. He was out on bond for another crime he committed before Sunday night's arrest.
According to court documents, Roberts was arrested in March of this year for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, along with several other charges.
For Sunday's shooting, he is facing several charges, including aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and attempted second degree murder.
Capri said they had dealt with Roberts several times before. He said Roberts even pulled a gun at an officer back in March during a traffic stop, as well as during a standoff where he threatened to kill a relative, as well as officers.
"(Roberts) has no regard for human life. If you're shooting at police, you're going to shoot at an average citizen," said Capri. "He's nothing but a thug."
Roberts had a bond hearing on Monday afternoon, but Capri said that he spoke with the public defender and the state attorney's lead prosecutor. Capri said they would be meeting to work on a game plan, and will make sure to put him away for a long time.
"This guy has had four chances to kill police officers, and he didn't, so I hope he goes away for a long time," Capri said.