A 24-year-old employee at a Circle K in Volusia County was arrested on a first-degree murder charge after he allegedly shot and killed an off-duty police officer on Monday afternoon.
According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, 45-year-old Edgewater Police Department Officer David Jewell was off-duty when he entered the Circle K convenience store located in the 2400 block of Ocean Shore Boulevard in Ormond Beach at around 4:08 p.m. on Monday, September 15.
VCSO stated that surveillance footage showed a Circle K employee, identified as Eduardo Felipe Labrada Machado, walking out of the store shortly after Jewell entered it. Labrada Machado then walked to his car, grabbed a jacket, and re-entered the store.
The sheriff’s office advised that Labrada Machado proceeded to pull out a firearm, and he allegedly shot Jewell multiple times in the head. Jewell’s injuries were fatal and he was pronounced deceased at the scene.
An investigation was launched by VCSO, and they quickly detained two persons of interest: Labrada Machado and another Circle K employee who witnessed the fatal shooting.
During an interview with law enforcement, Labrada Machado allegedly “confessed to the murder.” VCSO stated that Labrada Machado admitted to seeing Jewell in the convenience store on several occasions, and he “believed he had an argument with (Jewell) at some point in the past.”
While speaking with investigators, Labrada Machado allegedly did not indicate that he was aware that Jewell was a police officer, though he stated that he had “seen Jewell with a firearm in the past.” Labrada Machado further claimed that he was “afraid of (Jewell),” according to VCSO.
In an update on social media, the sheriff’s office stated that Labrada Machado told investigators he was “having a bad day” on his drive to work on the day of the shooting. When he arrived at work and saw Jewell, he allegedly used a handgun he had recently purchased to shoot the victim multiple times at close range.
Relatives of Labrada Machado were interviewed by law enforcement, and they revealed that Labrada Machado had been “diagnosed with a mental health disorder.” He had also allegedly mentioned to relatives that he “was hearing voices,” according to VCSO.
Labrada Machado’s relatives further told investigators that Labrada Machado was “quiet and played a lot of video games.” VCSO stated that a criminal history search revealed that Labrada Machado had one prior encounter with law enforcement in 2023 involving a weapons complaint, though no charges were filed in that case.
During the investigation into Monday’s fatal shooting, law enforcement officers searched Labrada Machado’s vehicle and found a jacket on the back seat. Inside the jacket, they allegedly found the firearm that had been used in the shooting death of Jewell.
Labrada Machado was placed under arrest and booked into Volusia County Jail, where he remains in custody without bond. He is being charged with first-degree premeditated murder.
Acting Edgewater Police Chief Charles Geiger stated during a media briefing that Officer Jewell “was a guy that we could rely on for anything, never heard a bad thing about him, and he’s going to be a tremendous loss to the Edgewater Police Department.”
Jewell proudly wore the Edgewater Police Department uniform for the past two years. EPD stated that while Jewell dedicated himself to protecting the community, he was first and foremost a husband and father.
“Officer Jewell was kind, selfless, caring, and a light during a dark day,” reads a statement from EPD. “For those who had the honor of knowing him, he was a great friend with a sense of humor.”
EPD continued by stating that Jewell’s time with the agency may have been “far too short,” but his impact “will remain with all of us forever.”
According to EPD, Jewell’s vehicle will be parked outside of the police department’s headquarters, which is located at 135 E Park Avenue in Edgewater, for those who would like to stop by and pay tribute.