Osceola County Sheriff’s Office deputies who shot and killed a 21-year-old man during a theft of Pokémon cards and food from a local Target will not be charged in the case.
On Tuesday, State Attorney Andrew Bain held a press conference detailing the grand jury’s findings in the death of Jayden Baez, who was shot by deputies responding to a theft at the Target located at 4795 W Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway in Kissimmee on April 27, 2022.
“After listening to substantial evidence and several witnesses presented in a court of law, the grand jury determined the deputies’ use of deadly force that day in April 2022 did not warrant criminal charges,” reads the statement from Bain.
According to Bain, the grand jury did not believe the charges against the two officers were legally appropriate.
The decision comes nearly two years after the fatal shooting. On that day, deputies conducting field training exercises near the Target responded to the store parking lot and observed a black Audi vehicle with a concealed license plate.
According to authorities, the deputies saw two men from the Audi put on masks and hoodies before entering the store. At the time, detectives notified a Target loss prevention employee who told them that he had witnessed the men commit a theft.
The men returned to the vehicle a short time later with under $50 worth of stolen Pokémon cards and food.
At the time, multiple deputies used their vehicles to block the men from leaving in an attempt to apprehend them. The driver of the Audi attempted to escape and struck multiple deputies’ vehicles. During the attempted escape, two deputies fired their weapons several times at the vehicle.
Three men were struck by gunfire including Baez, who died from his injuries.
“This is a tragic situation that has affected many families, individuals, law enforcement members and our community. A young man has lost his life and his loved ones, along with the surviving victims and their families, are still grieving and hurting,” reads the statement from Bain.
The names and all identifiable information of the deputies involved in the shooting were not originally released under Marsy’s Law. The Florida Supreme Court has since challenged the law, stating it does not protect law enforcement, and other individuals, from withholding their identities from public record in all instances.