DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Nearly two months after Othal Wallace was sentenced to prison for the death of Officer Jason Raynor, a Florida senator has filed an act that would establish more protections for police officers.
Daytona Beach Officer Jason Raynor was killed in 2021 during an interaction with Wallace. The Southwest Florida lawmaker’s act, Senate Bill 1092, would make it completely up to the court to decide who was in the wrong during an interaction between an officer and a suspect.
“I think this is a commonsense approach that people should realize you cannot take the law into your own hands. That’s why we have the court system,” said Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood.
Chitwood believed the act would make the message clear on how interactions with officers should happen without either side needing the use of force.
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“You can say ‘Screw you, I’m not talking to you’ and walk away, and you’re well within your rights to do that, but you can’t turn around and say, ‘I don’t like your questions’ and ‘I don’t like the fact that you touched me, so now I’m going to kill you,’” he said.
Senate Bill 1092 would make it illegal for a person to use or threaten to use force to resist an arrest or detention, whether lawful or unlawful, or resist an officer acting in their legal performance of duties.
It stems from the 2021 interaction between Othal Wallace and Officer Raynor that was captured on Raynor’s body camera.
Investigators said Raynor was searching for a stolen car when he saw Wallace in one that looked similar. He went to question Wallace, but Wallace wouldn’t comply.
Detectives said Wallace then shot Raynor and took off. Raynor died two months later.
“My intent was to defend myself in whatever way was possible,” said Wallace on the stand during his trial back in September.
Wallace argued in his trial that he shot Raynor because he feared for his own life.
Though charged with first-degree murder, the jury found him guilty of manslaughter. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
This new act would also make it so even those charged with manslaughter in the death of an officer would get life in prison without parole.
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