Wednesday, November 07 2007 @ 03:01 PM EST Contributed by: AIA
Broward County Sheriff'sDeputy Paul Rein (76) was murdered Wednesday morning, allegedly by a prisoner, Michael Mazza (40), he was transporting in a sheriff's medical van from the county jail to court for his trial on charges arising from his arrest in February for strong armed robbery, aggravated fleeing, & reckless driving, as well as violating terms of his probation. Deputy Rein's death ended 20 years as a sheriff's deputy, after an earlier career with the United States Postal Service.
Rein was shot with his own service weapon, which was recovered with Mazza when he was arrested in a white Chevrolet Camaro outside a pawn shop on Hollywood Boulevard near State Road 7 in Hollywood, FL.
Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti said Mazza is a career criminal who surrendered meekly when swarmed by law enforcement officers after the manager of the pawn shop called 911 when a customer entered his store & told him someone matching Mazza's description (which was being broadcast repeatedly on television with pictures) was in a car in the pawn shop's parking lot.
Rein had spent his entire BSO career as a jail transport deputy. He is the 3rd BSO deputy shot in the line of duty this year, & the second to die.
Rein was the only officer in the van, standard procedure, & Mazza was the only other occupant of the vehicle. He had been placed in the van in a wheelchair, complaining of back pain, during the jury selection phase of his trial. Lamberti said investigation is continuing to determine whether Mazza had accomplices. Mazza's Broward County record goes back to 1990.
Rein's son, Richard, is a retired Davie Police Department lieutenant, & his stepson, Chris Beroldi, is a Coconut Creek Police officer. He was married to his first wife for 49 years, & is survived by his current wife, Theresa, who was comforted by Sheriff Lamberti at North Broward Medical Center, where Rein died after attempts to save his life failed.
When 7 year old Arden Capizola made up her birthday gift list, she told family & friends that instead of toys, games, or other presents, for her 8th birthday she wanted cold hard cash. The cash she intended to give to the family of Sgt. Chris Reyka(51), a Broward County Sheriff's Office deputy who was killed by a gunman August 10 as he was looking for stolen vhicles behind a drug store. Someone got out of a white car & fired at least 5 shots at him before fleeing. The suspect is still unidentified & still being sought.
One Miami-Dade police officer was shot dead & 3 others wounded Thursday morning after a traffic stop of an erratic driver in a Miami-Dade County neighborhood. The suspect opened fire with a high-powered weapon before fleeing. South Florida officers from a variety of departments swarmed the area in a five hour unsuccessful attempt to catch the suspect, identified as Shawn Sherwin LaBeet (25). LaBeet was wanted in Broward County for an aggravated assault.
The identity of the officer killed was not released on Thursday by Miami-Dade Commander Linda O'Brien. One of the less-seriously wounded officers is Tomas Tundidor (37). The other officers were not identified on Thursday because all of their family members had not yet been notified. It was not clear what injuries the other officers suffered.
The shooting occurred around 11 AM when officers working a burglary detail spotted a suspicious car in an apartment complex at Southwest 280th Street & 143rd Court. The man stepped out of the car & opened fire with what appeared to be an AK-47, striking four officers, one fatally, & then fleeing in his auto.
Initially, the suspect was misidentified because of a stolen drivers license he had been using. Although the car was later found abandoned, with one weapon, LaBeet is said to be still armed, perhaps with 3 assault rifles & a handgun he had purchased in March. He is also said to be possibly wearing a protective basslistics vest.
Holmes County, FLsheriff's deputy Joe Galloway (61) was killed Monday in a single car accident that occured when he lost control of his patrol car, hit a tree, & overturned about 7 PM in pursuit of a speeding motorist just after they crossed the line into Alabama near Geneva, AL. The speeder was not caught.
Galloway's son, Keith Galloway, is on the Geneva police force & his nephew, Lonny Lee Lindsey, was a Holmes County deputy who was killed in the line of duty in 1996. Galloway is survived by his wife, Pat, & two children.
"He was doing what he loved to do," said Holmes County Sheriff Dennis Lee. "He was protecting his neighborhood."
"Gun!" is one of the most dreaded words a law enforcement officer can hear over the radio & it was the word that summoned aid to a Broward County FL Sheriff's Deputy who was shot in the head Monday after what he thought was goiing to be an uneventful traffic stop.
Deputy Maury Hernandez (28), a five-year veteran, remains in critical condition on a ventilator at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, FL. Sheriff Ken Jenne described his injury during a press conference as "catastrophic." Jenne added, "The next couple of days we're going to have to say a lot of prayers for him."
Shooting suspect David Maldonado (23) is being held without bail at the Broward County jail on charges of attempted first-degree murder & violation of probation. At the Tuesday press conference, Jenne said Maldonado told them he shot Hernandez because he feared being returned to jail & would therefore miss the birth of his expected child.
Deputy Hernandez was in plainclothes & an unmarked cruiser eastbound on Pembroke Road enroute to an assignment when he saw Maldonado, on a motorcycle, blow several red lights & then U-turn into a motorcycle shop. The stop occurred at 11:46 AM Monday. Maldonado has a lengthy arrest & conviction record. He was caught several blocks from the scene attempting to hijack a SUV. His Glock was found at a warehouse along the way.
The Lord's Servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will give them a change of heart leading to a knowledge of the truth
II Timothy 2:24-26
