BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Cocoa police say a private security officer shot and killed a masked gunman trying to rob a business.
Investigators said Nathaniel Carter, 55, was trying to rob the Blue Diamond Arcade on US-1 in Cocoa. The attempted robbery happened Monday around 12:40 a.m, police said.
According to police, the security guard confronted Carter immediately, telling him, “Don’t do this.”
Carter and the security guard exchanged gunfire, police said.
Investigators said the suspect was struck by a bullet and ran out of the building but only made it about 80 feet before he collapsed.
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Carter was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Police said they reviewed surveillance video of the confrontation.
“It’s clear that the security officer was well within the legal boundaries to shoot the suspect,” said Sgt. Doug Levine of the Criminal Investigations Division.
No customers were inside the business at the time.