Casino Crime Roundup: Florida Police-Involved Shooting

Posted on: November 29, 2023, 09:59h. 

Last updated on: November 30, 2023, 10:57h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More

Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A man was apprehended Tuesday after he allegedly attempted to drive into a Florida police officer near the Seminole Classic Casino Hollywood. The officer fired a shot at the suspect, who wasn’t wounded, authorities said.

The unnamed Seminole Police Department officer was in a parking lot near the casino on a medical assistance call at about 7 a.m., according to Florida TV station WTVJ.

While there, the female officer involved in the incident engaged in a confrontation with the suspect, Solomon Eugene Terry, 26.

Terry then allegedly “used his vehicle as a weapon” against the officer, according to the police. The officer, fearing for her life, fired a single shot in Terry’s direction.

Terry then jumped out of the car and ran from the parking lot, located south of the casino. The female officer wasn’t injured in the incident.

Suspect’s Apprehension

Police used a helicopter, dogs, and officers in tactical gear to search for Terry following the confrontation, according to Florida TV station WPLG. He was apprehended about 90 minutes later in an industrial zone.

Terry was charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and his case has been turned over to a local prosecutor’s office.

Terry has yet to enter a plea on the charge and could face years in prison if convicted on the charges.

In an unrelated case, Terry was previously charged with aggravated battery, shooting inside an occupied building, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and carrying a concealed firearm in 2018.

He pleaded no contest in the case last year, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Florida Authorities Seize Gaming Machines

A Wednesday raid of an alleged illegal gambling operation led to the arrest of two suspects at a Florida arcade.

Computers, cash, and more than 60 gambling machines were confiscated in the court-ordered search of Moonlight Express arcade, located in Roseland, Fla. The business was shut down by local deputies.

The gambling raid was undertaken by the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Gaming Control Commission.

Officials had warned the arcade to stop illegal gambling, and authorities said the business temporarily stopped its illicit operations, only to start them up again. The gambling operation led to the risk of related crimes, officials said.