DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – As a Daytona Beach officer who was shot in the head Wednesday night continues to fight for his life, it’s likely that he’ll need help recovering both physically and financially in the future.
A GoFundMe account has been created to help offset some of officer Jason Raynor’s expenses as he is cared for at Halifax Health. He was rushed there after the shooting to undergo surgery and has remained hospitalized in critical condition since.
Over $341,000 has been raised thus far.
[MORE COVERAGE: Here’s what we know about the injured officer | Body camera video shows Daytona shooting | $100,000 reward offered for suspect information | What we know about Othal Wallace | Officer shot in the head identified]
Daytona Beach police public information officer Messod Bendayan said the account was created because so many members of the community have been asking how they could provide support.
“We decided that it’d be a good idea to kind of set up a way so that people in the public can, you know, give that assistance to the family in a way that we know will actually help the family. So that’s why we wanted the GoFundMe page, it’s already been live. I know it’s been receiving, you know, some nice donations already. We thank you for that and more importantly, the family thanks you for that,” Bendayan said.
He added that Raynor’s “progressing slowly” and they’re praying for a full recovery.
“He’s still fighting for his life and we’re just hopeful that things will work out in the end for him,” Bendayan said.
Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young said he’s saying his prayers for the 26-year-old officer.
“He has a heart of gold. He’s not perfect, just because none of us are perfect. But I can tell you if he pulls through this, this cop would do everything in his power to return to full duty and he will continue serving this community without an ounce of malice or hate in his heart for what happened to him, because that’s just the type of person that he is,” Young said.
Raynor is not married nor does he have children but he has had family by his side in the hospital.
Young said Raynor was patrolling on Kingston Avenue around 8:50 p.m. Wednesday when he approached 29-year-old Othal Wallace, who was sitting in a car behind an apartment complex.
Body camera video shows Wallace immediately stood up and refused to sit back down even as Raynor asked him to repeatedly.
The two appeared to get into a physical altercation before a single gunshot was heard. The footage ended with Raynor falling to the ground.
Authorities said witnesses in the area helped Raynor and helped identify Wallace as the suspect.
As of Friday afternoon, Wallace remains on the run.
He was last seen driving a gray 2016 Honda HR-V with the California license plate number 7TNX532 and is believed to be armed and dangerous. A $200,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to his arrest.
Anyone with information is asked to call the department’s Emergency Operations Center at 386-671-5555.
To donate to Raynor’s GoFundMe, click here.