I'LL HAVE YOUR WEEKEND
WE CONTINUE FOLLOWING
BREAKING NEWS.
THE SHOOTING OF A FLORIDA
HIGHWAY PATROL TROOPER.
RIGHT NOW A NEWS CONFERENCE BY
THE HIGHWAY PATROL IN MARTIN
COUNTY.
COMMAND STAFF AND FHP
BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND HIS
FAMILY ARE HEART BROKEN.
THIS MORNING AT APPROXIMATELY
10:15 A.M., TROOPER BULLOCK WAS
ASSISTING A DISABLED VEHICLE ON
I-95 NORTHBOUND NEAR MILEMARKER
107 JUST SOUTH OF MARTIN
HIGHWAY.
WHEN THE SUSPECT WHO WAS WITH
THE DISABLED VEHICLE SHOT HIM,
RESULTING IN FATAL INJURIES TO
TROOPER BULLOCK, THE RIVIERA
BEACH POLICE OFFICER WHO WAS
PASSING BY ENGAGED THE SUSPECT,
FATALLY SHOOTING HIM.
TROOPER BULLOCK WAS A LEADER
WITHIN THE FLORIDA HIGHWAY
PATROL AND SERVED AS A FIELD
TRAINING OFFICER.
HE TRAINED AND MENTORED MANY NEW
TROOPERS.
JOE WAS 42 YEARS OLD.
HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE 99TH
RECRUIT CLASS AND GRADUATED FROM
THE ACADEMY IN AUGUST OF 2001.
HE SERVED HIS ENTIRE 19-YEAR FHP
CAREER IN THE TREASURE COAST,
SELFLESSLY PROTECTING FLORIDA'S
RESIDENTS AND VISITORS.
HE WAS ALSO A U.S. AIR FORCE
VETERAN.
HE'S SURVIVED BY HIS PARENTS AND
TWO SISTERS.
IT IS A TRAGIC LOSS, AS I SAID,
FOR THE FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL
FAMILY.
JOE WAS ONE OF THE TROOPERS THAT
WENT OUT EVERY DAY, DID HIS JOB
QUIETLY, PROFESSIONALLY, AND
WITH THE UTMOST DEDICATION.
AND IT IS A TRAGIC, TRAGIC,
LOSS.
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF LAW
ENFORCEMENT IS THE LEAD
INVESTIGATING AGENCY ON THIS
CASE AND THEY'RE ASSISTED BY
MARTIN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
AND CLOSE CONSULTATION WITH THE
STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
THERE'S MANY THANKS TO GO OUT.
BUT I CAN'T THANK THE MARTIN
COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
THE ST. LUCIE COUNTY SHERIFF'S
OFFICE, MARTIN COUNTY FIRE
RESCUE, AND MANY, MANY OTHER
PEOPLE THAT WERE AT THE SCENE
ASSISTING AND SHOWING THE UTMOST
RESPECT TO OUR FALLEN BROTHER.
IT IS TRULY A TRAGEDY.
AND IT WILL TAKE A LONG TIME FOR
THE FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL TO
HEAL.
WITH THAT, I JUST ASK THAT YOU
CONTINUE TO KEEP JOE'S FAMILY IN
YOUR PRAYERS ALONG WITH THE
FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL FAMILY,
TROOP L, AND ALL OF THE PUBLIC
SAFETY PROFESSIONALS THAT
SACRIFICE THEIR LIVES DAILY AS
THEY GO OUT AND DO THEIR JOB.
AT THIS TIME I'D BE HAPPY TO
TAKE ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE
THEM.
MY CONDOLENCES TO YOUR
DEPARTMENT, SIR.
THIS RIVIERA BEACH POLICE
OFFICER DRIVING BY, WAS HE
RESPONDING TO THE CALL OR HE
HAPPENED TO BE THERE WHEN THIS
ALTERCATION WAS GOING ON?
I DON'T BELIEVE HE WAS
RESPONDING AT ALL, BUT I'M NOT
SURE EXACTLY WHAT HIS
CIRCUMSTANCES WAS.
HE JUST OBSERVED THE INCIDENT AS
HE WAS PASSING BY.
WAS THE CAR BROKEN DOWN OR
SOMETHING LIKE THAT?
CAN'T REALLY DISCUSS THAT.
WE'RE IN THE VERY EARLY STAGES
OF THE INVESTIGATION.
THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE
IDENTIFYING EXACTLY WHAT THE
CIRCUMSTANCES WERE BUT I JUST
CAN'T ANSWER THAT RIGHT NOW.
HE WAS ASSISTING ANOTHER
DRIVER?
HE WAS ASSISTING THE SUBJECT
THAT SHOT HIM.
WAS THAT SUBJECT ALONE?
RIGHT NOW IT'S VERY EARLY IN
THE INVESTIGATION.
WE CAN'T ANSWER THAT.
I'D BE AFRAID TO ANSWER THAT
BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW.
DO YOU KNOW ROUGHLY HOW LONG
TROOPER BULLOCK WAS ON SCENE
HELPING THIS OTHER MOTORIST?
THERE AGAIN, NOT SURE.
HE'D BEEN THERE FOR SEVERAL
MINUTES.
CAN YOU TELL US ANYTHING
ABOUT THE SUSPECT?
NO, MA'AM.
WAS -- WE COULD SEE A TOW
TRUCK IN THE AREA.
WAS THAT TOW TRUCK ASSISTING THE
DRIVER AT THE TIME THIS ALL
HAPPENED?
OR WAS IT JUST THE DRIVER AND
THE TROOPER?
I'M NOT GOING TO DISCUSS --
I'D HATE TO MISQUOTE SOMETHING
AND GET INFORMATION WRONG.
IT'S VERY, VERY EARLY IN THE
INVESTIGATION.
SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE WITH
FDLE IS HERE.
THEY'RE HEADING THE
INVESTIGATION AND IT WOULDN'T BE
PROPER FOR ME TO SPEAK ON THE
SPECIFICS OF THE INVESTIGATION
AT THIS POINT.
YOU'VE BEEN LISTENING TO A
LIVE NEWS CONFERENCE BY THE
FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL ON THE
TRAGIC SHOOTING OF A TROOPER, A
19-YEAR VETERAN OF THE FORCE WHO
WAS SHOT THIS MORNING ON I-95
NEAR STEWART.
OUR JOAN MURRAY IS THERE.
WE EXPECT TO HAVE MORE