Edgewater police officer shot, killed by clerk at Circle K: What we know about the suspect
ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA, Fla. - The Volusia Sheriff's Office (VSO) says an off-duty Edgewater police officer was ambushed, shot and killed by the clerk inside a Circle K gas station Monday afternoon in Ormond-by-the-Sea. The suspect, Eduardo Felipe Labrada Machado, made his first appearance in court on Tuesday, where a judge denied him a $1 million bond.
Here's everything we know about the suspect and the investigation so far.
Who is Eduardo Machado?
What we know:
Machado, 24, is the man accused of shooting and killing an off-duty Edgewater police officer on Monday inside a Circle K gas station in Ormond-by-the-Sea. Machado was the clerk who worked at the gas station.
Machado was arrested and booked into the Volusia County Jail Branch on zero bond. He is facing a charge of first-degree murder in the killing of 45-year-old Officer David Jewell.
Eduardo Felipe Labrada Machado (Credit: Volusia Sheriff's Office)
On Tuesday, VSO said Machado had confessed to the murder of Jewell. The weapon used in the murder was found inside a jacket in the back seat of the Machado's vehicle, officials said.
Machado allegedly told investigators he had seen Jewell in the store several times and believed he had an argument with him at some point in the past. However, Machado couldn't provide any details about the argument.
Deputies said Machado did not indicate he knew that Jewell was a police officer or if he had ever seen him in uniform. However, he did allegedly tell detectives that he had seen Jewell with a firearm in the past and was afraid of him.
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Officials said Machado told them he was having a bad day on his drive to work and thought about shooting Jewell earlier. When he arrived at work and saw Jewell, he allegedly said he used a handgun he recently purchased to shoot the officer multiple times at close range. He said he did not say anything to Jewell prior to shooting him.
Off-duty Edgewater officer shot and killed at gas station
An off-duty Edgewater police officer was ambushed, shot and killed inside a Circle K gas station Monday afternoon in Ormond-by-the-Sea by a clerk who worked there, according to Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood. The suspect has been identified as 24-year-old Eduardo Felipe Labrada Machado.
The VSO said interviews with Machado's family members revealed he had been diagnosed with a mental health disorder in the past and had indicated he was hearing voices. Family members said Machado was quiet and played a lot of video games. However, they said they were not aware of any homicidal threats or anti-law enforcement ideologies on his part.
Machado does not have a criminal history, investigators confirmed. He had one prior encounter with law enforcement in 2023, which was a weapons complaint about him shooting guns at Tomoka State Park.
Officials said Machado has been a legal resident of the United States for 10 years and has a green card.
Machado had his first court appearance on Tuesday, where a judge denied him a $1 million bond.
What's next:
The investigation into the incident remains active and ongoing.
Who is Officer David Jewell?
Dig deeper:
Jewell joined the Edgewater Police Department (EPD) in 2023, according to the department's Facebook page.
Before that, he worked in the communications unit for the VSO, Sheriff Mike Chitwood said.
According to the VSO's Facebook page, Jewell, then a telecommunicator with VSO, was awarded "Telecomunicator of the Quarter" in 2020.
Officer David Jewell (Credit: Edgewater Police Department)
Deadly shooting at Circle K gas station
The backstory:
The shooting was reported around 4 p.m. on Monday at a Circle K gas station near Ocean Shore Boulevard and Wisteria Drive in Ormond-by-the-Sea, the VSO said.
Chitwood said the off-duty officer, later identified as Jewell, walked into the Circle K convenience store to buy a hot dog and was waiting at the register to pay.
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Machado, an employee at the Circle K, then walked out of the gas station as Jewell walked in, grabbed a jacket from a white Kia and walked back into the store, Chitwood said.
Machado then walked behind Jewell and fired several shots at his head, Chitwood said, citing surveillance video.
Chitwood then said Machado's gun jammed. He cleared the gun, then fired several more shots after Jewell fell to the ground. Chitwood estimated 24 shots were fired by Machado.
Reports show that Jewell died at the scene.
A second person initially detained during the investigation, a second Circle K employee, is a witness in the investigation.
Remember Edgewater Officer David Jewell
Edgewater police officer David Jewell, 45, was shot and killed while off-duty on Monday inside a Circle K gas station in Ormond-by-the-Sea. "An assassination" is how Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood described the shooting in a press conference, citing surveillance video of the moments before, during and after the shooting.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Volusia Sheriff's Office (VSO).