State investigators look into deadly deputy shooting outside LaBelle

LABELLE, Fla. (WINK) — A man died following a deputy-involved shooting that shut down a portion of State Road 29 in Hendry County for hours Saturday evening.

The Hendry County Sheriff's Office received a call reporting a reckless driver around 5 p.m. The Sheriff's Office said deputies located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop in the area of South State Road 29 and Case Road.

A short time into the stop, the Sheriff's Office said shots were exchanged between the driver and deputies. The driver was identified as 33-year-old Edward Young Jr. of Lehigh Acres.

Young was transported for medical treatment and later died from his injuries. No law enforcement officers were hurt.

Deputies closed off State Road 29 between Case Road and Helms Road, which is south of LaBelle.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is now handling the investigation. Investigators have not said who fired the shots or how many deputies were involved.

Retired FBI Special Agent Richard Kolko said officer-involved-shootings are typically referred to another agency for transparency. 

"Investigators are going to treat this literally as a crime scene," Kolko said. "They're going to do everything there. They're going to do a recreation. They're going to collect evidence."

Investigators will determine if the deputy completed training on traffic stops, de-escalation, and shooting, Kolko said. They will also look into the deputy's history, including whether they've been involved in past shootings.

"It's very rare for any officer to actually shoot their weapon at any given time throughout an entire career," Kolko said. "And just having all this information puts the investigative report together, makes it clearer for the sheriff when they have to make decisions."