“I noticed a VW Bug coming out of the alleyway behind Oscar Woerners Restaurant (no headlights). I came up behind it and I activated my blue lights at the same time I was running the tag, and the tag came back as a stolen vehicle. I didn’t have a backup anywhere close by, there was only three of us working in the entire city of Pensacola that night. I got him out of the car, and had him lay on the pavement. He kept saying, ‘officer, what’s wrong? officer, what’s wrong?'” … “Initially when I was placing the handcuffs on him he kicked my feet out from under me and struck me with a handcuff that had been placed on one wrist. And it of course knocked me off my feet and that’s when it started.” … “I was chasing him hollering ‘halt’ and so forth, well he turned and all I’d seen was a nickle and thought it was a gun. So I leveled down and fired… so I said wow, my God. I killed him.” … “well I went and seen if he was shot. And I bent down and he grabbed my wrist and we had a struggle for my revolver. And it’s a heavy pistol and when I broke it away I swung and slapped him on the cheek. And if you see pictures right after the suspect was arrested there’s a big bruise on the side of his cheek, and thay was from my pistol barrel. There’s no doubt in my mind he would have killed me if he would have gotten my gun away from me.”
– David Lee.