DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A 911 call released Wednesday detailed how the victim of an attempted carjacking followed the armed suspect and watched as he broke into another vehicle and then was shot three times by Daytona Beach police officers minutes later.
Records show the woman was at a Popeyes on International Speedway Boulevard around 8 a.m. on Memorial Day, waiting in her Ford Explorer before the start of her shift, when a man armed with a rifle approached her, rested the gun on her open driver’s side window and started making demands.
“Get out of the (expletive) truck, get out of the (expletive) truck,” the man identified Wednesday as 37-year-old Shon James yelled, according to the report.
Instead, with James still pointing the gun at her, she put the vehicle in drive and sped off to safety, officers said.
She called 911 as she followed James across the street to a nearby Walgreens.
“Some guy just walked up and tried to rob me and shoot me with a gun,” the victim said.
She also told the operator that she thought the man was holding a BB gun, but records show it was actually a Marlin rifle.
Warning: The 911 call below contains graphic content. Discretion is advised.
“I was parked outside my job at Popeyes and he walked up outside my window and he pointed the gun at me. I thought it was a joke at first,” she said.
Another woman saw the attempted carjacking and also called 911.
“He just pulled the gun on someone that was in an SUV at the Popeyes,” she said.
In the Walgreens parking lot, the victim watched in horror as James approached a mini-van driver who had just gotten out of his vehicle, according to the report. In the 911 call, she’s heard honking her horn repeatedly to get the man’s attention.
Officers said her intervention technique worked and the man turned around and saw James behind him, still armed with the rifle.
The man ran away while James got into his mini-van and starting rifling around inside the vehicle.
“I can see him now, he just got out of the mini-van,” the woman said.
She also provided the operator with specific details about James’ appearance, including his clothing and a tattoo on his face.
From there, she watched as James walked over to the adjacent WaWa parking lot, where he was confronted by officers.
“He’s in front of the cops. Oh, my God,” the woman said.
In the background of the 911 call, officers can be heard yelling commands at James. After that came the sound of gunfire.
“He’s got the gun out. He’s got the gun out at the cops,” the woman said moments before the shots were heard.
The other witness who called 911 also saw the officer-involved shooting.
“Oh, my God, he’s shooting at the police men,” she said. “Oh, my God, my heart. Oh, my God.”
The operator tried to calm the woman down.
Warning: The 911 call below contains graphic content. Discretion is advised.
“I think they just shot him. Oh, Lord, help me," she said. "Why did I have to witness this?”
The victim’s call ended after officers confronted the woman to get her statement.
“I was the one who called, he tried to shoot me at Popeyes,” she told them.
Records show James was shot on his left hand, his upper left shoulder and on the left side of his torso. He’s expected to survive his injuries.
No one else was hurt during the incident.
Daytona Beach Police Chief Craig Capri said two officers fired their weapons a total of six times. It’s unclear if James fired his rifle, according to Capri.
The officers have been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure for officer-involved shootings.