>>MELANIE LAWSON: SAFETY IS AT THE FOREFRONT FOR FOOD DELIVERY DRIVERS ACROSS
FLORIDA AFTER THE PASCO COUNTY
SHERIFF SAID IN UBER EATS
DELIVERY DRIVER WAS MURDERED
IN LATER FOUND DISMEMBERED
AFTER DELIVERING A FOOD ORDER
LAST WEEK. NOW THESE ARE
PICTURES OF RANDALL COOKE. THE
DRIVER WHO WAS KILLED. HE WAS
A HUSBAND, FATHER AND PROVIDER
THE ARREST OF 30 YEAR-OLD
OSCAR SOLIS JUNIOR WAS MADE
PUBLIC THIS WEEK IN THE PASCO
COUNTY JAIL RECORDS SHOW HE’S
CHARGED WITH MURDER HOMICIDE
WHILE ENGAGED IN A ROBBERY AND
VIOLATING PAROLE. THE SHERIFF
SAYS SOLIS HAS PREVIOUS TIES
TO THE VIOLENT MS 13 GANG.
JOINING ME NOW IS NEWS 4 JAX
CRIME AND SAFETY ANALYST
KAISHA BURTON VIA ZOOM. THANKS
SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TO TALK
ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. HOW ARE
YOU? I’M DOING WELL. THANK YOU
SO MUCH. ARE IN LOCATION. BY
ALL ACCOUNTS. MISTER COOK WAS
DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT. THE
SHERIFF SAID THAT HE TEXTED
HIS WIFE LETTING HER KNOW
>>MELANIE LAWSON: THAT THIS
WAS HIS LAST DELIVERY OF THE
DAY. WE HAVE COUNTLESS FOOD
DELIVERY DRIVERS RIGHT HERE IN
NORTHEAST FLORIDA. SO WHAT
ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR THEM TO
HELP KEEP THEMSELVES SAFE ON
THE JOB?
>> LET ME SAY THIS IS VERY
HEARTBREAKING AND IT’S JUST A
REMINDER OF ALL EVIL THAT’S IN
OUR COMMUNITIES ALL OVER ALL
OVER THE WORLD. YOU KNOW,
SAFETY IS THE NUMBER ONE
CONCERN THAT ALL SHOULD HAVE
AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE IN
SAFETY I THINK IS VERY
IMPORTANT.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: ABSOLUTELY.
DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR THESE
DRIVERS? THE GPS CAMERAS,
THINGS LIKE THAT THAT CAN
REALLY COME IN HANDY, ANYTHING
LIKE THAT, THAT THEY CAN HAVE.
>> ABSOLUTELY. SO, YOU KNOW,
THERE’S SO MANY 10, SO MUCH
TECHNOLOGY OUT HERE. NOW
PEOPLE ARE USING GPS IS I’VE
SEEN WHERE PEOPLE ARE USING
THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA GOING
FACEBOOK, GLAD WHEN THEY’RE
GOING DIFFERENT PLACES. BUT
ALSO I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT
THAT, YOU KNOW, DRIVERS ARE
HEALTHY IN THE WORKING OUT IN
A NOBLE, SOME TYPE OF SELF
DEFENSE MECHANISM TO KEEP
THEMSELVES SAFE.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: ALSO, WE’VE
HEARD OF THE BUDDY SYSTEM
BEFORE. DO YOU RECOMMEND
DRIVERS HAVE A SECOND PERSON
WITH THEM AS THEY MAKE THEIR
DELIVERIES? I PERSONALLY HAD A
DELIVERY DRIVER LIKE THAT.
>> I THINK IS WE GOOD HAVE A
BUDDY SYSTEM IN EVERYTHING.
BUT IN THIS PROFESSION IS
SEEING MICHAEL WILL BE VERY
DIFFICULT. BUT I THINK THAT’S
ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE A BUDDY ON
ON THE PHONE CALL WHEN
ARRIVING TO RESIDENTS TO MAKE
A DELIVERY, PERHAPS HAVE THAT
BUDDY ON THE SPEAKER PHONE,
YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, SEEN, YOU
KNOW, THE FACEBOOK LIVE IS
REALLY GOOD AS WELL.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: AND, YOU
KNOW, THE SHERIFF SAID THAT
THIS INDIVIDUAL HAS TIES TO
THE MS THIRTEEN GANG. AND THAT
JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU JUST DO
NOT KNOW WHO’S ON THE OTHER ON
THE OTHER SIDE, THE DOOR. SO
WHERE COULD PERSONAL
PROTECTION COME INTO PLAY
HERE? FOR INSTANCE, A DRIVER
BEING ARMED. AND CAN YOU ALSO
TALK ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS TO USE
A WEAPON FOR THEIR SAFETY?
>> YES, WELL, YOU INDIVIDUALS
ARE, YOU KNOW, LAWFULLY CAN
CARRY FARMS. THE PROBLEM IS A
LOT OF COMPANIES THAT HAVE A
NO WEAPONS POLICY YOU KNOW,
LIVED ONLY. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT
TELLS DRIVERS ARE WORKING IN A
COMPANY WHERE THEY CAN HAVE
ACCESS TO GUN. I THINK IT’S
JUST IMPORTANT THAT THE R
TRAIN AND PROFICIENT IN THE
USE OF THAT FARM.
>>MELANIE LAWSON: ANY OTHER
ADVICE THAT YOU CAN GIVE TO
OUR LOCAL DELIVERY DRIVERS SO
THAT THEY CAN STAY SAFE ON THE
JOB. ANY OTHER ADVICE,
ANYTHING I DIDN’T TOUCH ON.
>> YEAH, JUST SAID YOU KNOW,
MAINTAIN THEIR DILIGENCE. A
LOT OF TIMES THAT WE BECOME
COMPLACENT BECAUSE WE’RE DOING
THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER
AGAIN. I THINK JUST YOU KNOW,
THIS REALLY DILIGENT OF YOUR
SURROUNDINGS AND USE IN THOSE
DIFFERENT ITEMS THAT WE TALKED
ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE GPS,
THE PHONE CALLS. AND I THINK
IT’S IMPORTANT IF A DRIVER
EVER GETS TO A PLACE WHERE
THEY FEEL LIKE SOMETHING IS
WRONG, YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW YOUR
GUT INSTINCTS AND AND NOT DO
THAT DELIVERY.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: LIKE HE
SHOULD BURN NEWS. 4 JAX CRIME