DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A special display and prayer vigil took place Tuesday evening outside Halifax Health in honor of a Daytona Beach police officer who was shot in the head almost a week ago.
Officer Jason Raynor has been at the hospital since Wednesday night when officials say he was shot by 29-year-old Othal Wallace outside an apartment complex while on patrol. He was rushed into surgery and although a department spokesman said he’s showing signs of improvement, Raynor remains in critical condition.
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Volusia County Towing, Arrow Towing and Daytona Wrecker organized the event Tuesday on North Clyde Morris Boulevard to show support for Raynor as he works toward recovering.
Between 100 and 150 tow trucks were present to flash their lights and honk their horns during a unified display at about 7 p.m.
Raynor, 26, has been with the Daytona Beach Police Department for about three years. Prior to that, he was at the Port Orange Police Department, where he received an award for helping a woman who was planning to jump off a bridge.
“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,” Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young said.
A manhunt for Wallace lasted several days and spanned several states up until early Saturday morning when he was located in a treehouse outside of Atlanta.
Wallace is expected to be extradited back to Volusia County but no timeline has been given for when that move will take place.
As Raynor continues to receive treatment, a GoFundMe page has been created to help cover his medical expenses. Donations were also accepted at the event.