Police Question 'Person of Interest' in Federal Agent's Deadly Shooting Wednesday, August 06, 2008 http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,398545,00.html WSVN TV Miami Donald Pettit Donald Pettit Investigators were questioning a person of interest Wednesday in the fatal shooting of a federal agent outside a South Florida post office. Sgt Bryan Davis of the Pembroke Pines Police Department told FOX News that the standoff outside a shopping complex in David, Fla., ended when investigators brought someone in for questioning in the Tuesday morning killing of border patrol agent Donald Pettit, 52. Davis did not call the person a suspect and declined to say whether he or she had been arrested. The news came after police spent much of the day chasing down leads in their search for the man who gunned Pettit down in front of his daughter outside the busy Pembroke Pines post office. The victim's wife also made an emotional plea Wednesday for help in finding the killer. Agents tracked down several sightings of people matching the shooting suspect's description — including the tip that came in after 2 p.m. Wednesday that sent detectives to the Davies mall and another earlier that had them combing an area known as Malibu Point. The Malibu Point lead turned out to be a false alarm. Related Stories Federal Agent Shot, Killed Outside Florida Post Office Photo Essays Florida Agent Shooting <!-- QUIGO --><!-- QUIGO --><SCRIPT type=text/javascript _extended="true"> /*<![CDATA[*/ var adsonar_placementId="1307847",adsonar_pid="144757",adsonar_ps="-1",adsonar_zw=190;adsonar_zh=200,adsonar_jv="ads.adsonar.com"; qas_writeAd(); /*]]>*/ </SCRIPT> Police issued and distributed a sketch of the suspect who shot and killed Pettit based on witness descriptions of a white or possibly Hispanic man between the ages of 50 and 60 years old. They said the man is about six feet tall, medium to heavy build, with gray and white bushy hair and "distinctive sagging cheeks." The reward leading to information on the suspect was raised to $275,000, according to WSVN TV in Miami. Also Wednesday, Pettit's wife begged for assistance in finding and capturing the person who took her husband's life. "For a man like this to come and take his life in a matter of seconds, it’s hard to believe," a distraught Ileana Pettit told reporters, holding up a photo of her husband and two daughters. "We really need your help.This man has destroyed our family." The U.S. Customs and Border Protection special agent was with his young daughter when he got into an argument in the parking lot of a Pembroke Pines post office at about 9 a.m. Tuesday, according to Davis. The other man then pulled out a gun and fired at least one shot. Pettit died later at a hospital from a gunshot wound to the head. Davis said the suspect drove off in a car. Police were scouring the vicinity in their hunt. "We're just going to saturate the area," Davis said Tuesday. Investigators interviewed postal employees and customers in the post office parking lot Tuesday and continued the search overnight and all day Wednesday. They were looking for a jade green 2005-2008 4-door Chrysler 300, possibly with tinted windows. Volunteers handed out fliers of the suspect sketch on Wednesday. Ileana Pettit said the daughter who witnessed the killing was completely traumatized, and both girls were struggling with the tragedy. "Unfortunately, one of my daughters witnessed something a child should never see: her father dying," she said through tears. Click here for more on this story from WSVN TV in Miami.
I'm trying to absorb and yet fight off emotions after reading this..... I fear every day and night for my son that is a deputy here in Arizona. He knows how I feel. I guess he had similar issues, when he saw me go out the door every day with my uniform on. I can't begin to express my feelings for the family. I am seeing a lot more of our Officers hurt, maimed, and wounded everyday. Not, just by drunk drivers, or those on drugs, that's bad enough in and of itself.... But, to try to reason why anyone would even dare to consider harming one of them, is beyond my ability to see clearly. The we have to add another part in the equation. The illegals, that are gang members, drug smugglers, and just plain out psychotic killers. It's no longer "SAFE" to be on the streets, or as we have all just seen, even on a BUS! But, try wearing that badge for a few days, with all eyes on you. You feel as if there is a target painted on your forehead or your back! It's bad out there and going to get a LOT worse I'm afraid to say! Bill
