Rasheem Edwards was riding a dirkbike in Silver Springs Shores when he was stopped by Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy Muhammad-Alamin Qubaisy nearly a year ago.
Edwards stopped. The deputy attempted to get information from Edwards, but Edwards ran away. The deputy pursued Edwards, and during the foot pursuit, Edwards dropped a firearm. Edwards attempted to pick up the gun. The deputy ordered him to stop. He did not, and the deputy shot him. Children were playing nearby.
The injured man was taken to a local hospital where he died.
The sheriff’s office asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate, which complied and sent its report to the state attorney’s office for review.
Assistant District Attorney Walter Forgie wrote in his report that no charges would be filed against the deputy.
“This deputy’s use of deadly force was reasonable under the circumstances and therefore lawful. Furthermore, the deputy’s actions in this case protected several innocent bystanders in an extremely dangerous situation where many young children and adults were present,” Forgie wrote in a memorandum to Sheriff Billy Woods.
Forgie writes: “Florida Statutes section 776.05 authorizes law enforcement officers to use any force they deem necessary to protect themselves or another person from bodily harm during an arrest. Florida Statute 776.012 authorizes a person to use deadly force if they reasonably believe that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to themselves or another person.”
A member of the Edwards family contacted by telephone declined to comment, saying they wanted to conduct their own investigations before commenting.
At the time of the shooting, Edwards’ family members were shocked and surprised. They had questions about his death.
His mother told a Star-Banner reporter that her son was a loving and kind person and was born in New York. The youngest of three brothers and a sister, Edwards loved his family and kept in touch with them frequently.
Edwards’ mother said her son attended high school in Jamaica and later returned to New York. Edwards, who lived in Silver Springs Shores, was 26 at the time of his death.
What happened?
In his report, Forgie explained the circumstances that led to the shooting.
It started on October 24, 2023 at around 7:15 p.m. when Qubaisy saw a dirkbike without lights driving on Emerald Road toward Southeast Maricamp Road. The deputy could not see a license plate and stopped the motorcycle.
Qubaisy got out of his vehicle and began talking to Edwards, but was unable to find out Edwards’ name or any information about him, the report said.
Edwards was ordered to get off the motorcycle so he could be searched. When asked if he had any weapons on him, Edwards said no and ran off. The officer ran after Edwards and ordered him to stop. The chase ended at the edge of a field where children were playing soccer, according to Forgie’s report.
The officer noticed that Edwards had pointed a gun at him, the prosecutor said.
“The deputy pushed Edwards forward and Edwards dropped the weapon and fell to the ground. While on the ground, Edwards reached for the weapon, at which point the deputy fired his weapon, striking Edwards multiple times,” Forgie wrote.
Medical documents
Edwards was shot in the chest, right leg and right buttock. Neither the deputy nor the children playing on the lawn were injured.
According to the report, the incident was captured on the officer’s body camera. Edwards was taken to HCA Florida Ocala Hospital, where he died.
Medical records show that Edwards had fentanyl, midazolam and THC in his system.
“I wish it had never happened”: Family of man shot by police officer speaks out
The deputy has been with the department for just over two years and has not been involved in any other shootings. Qubaisy’s internal investigation, which is common in deputy-involved shootings, is ongoing, sheriff’s office officials said.
Qubaisy was placed on paid leave on Oct. 25 but returned to work on Nov. 14, officials said.
Contact Austin L. Miller at [email protected]
