VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A Volusia County judge has dismissed murder charges against a DeLeon Springs man after deputies said he shot and killed his neighbor.
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Back in 2023, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office released a body camera video showing deputies arresting 78-year-old Edward Druzolowski.
Deputies said Druzolowski shot his neighbor, Brian Ford, on a Sunday afternoon in front of the victim’s 8-year-old son.
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Investigators said the deadly shooting stemmed from a confrontation about tree trimming.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said if the suspect was concerned about his neighbor being on his property, he should have called 911 and asked law enforcement to handle it instead of shooting him.
“Somebody is dead over tree branches. Are you kidding me?,” Chitwood said. “I can’t imagine what that 8-year-old little boy is going through his mind that he watched his father die in front of him.”
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At the time, Chitwood called the situation unacceptable, and Druzolowski shouldn’t have taken matters into his own hands.
“You just can’t go around shooting people just because they step on your property,” Chitwood said.
Chitwood said there were no prior reports filed or issues between the two property owners.
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