Cocoa Beach Police Officer Shoots Attacker

By  //  May 30, 2012

Investigation Launched

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BREVARD COUNTY • COCOA BEACH, FLORIDA – A man acting suspicious was airlifted to the hospital Wednesday after being shot in a confrontation with police.

Cocoa Beach Police were summoned to the 7-Eleven convenience store at 3177 N. Atlantic Avenue about 3:02 p.m. by a store clerk in reference to the report of a suspicious person in front of the store.

Cocoa Beach olice Officer Ron Betts, a six-year veteran of the department, made contact with the subject, later identified as Olivier H. Babadjide, 30, of Merritt Island, in front of the store.

During the course of the investigation, witnesses reported seeing Babadjide attack Officer Betts, repeatedly striking him in the face and about the head.

Officer Betts attempted to deploy a Taser on Babadjide, but it was not effective.

He then fired his department-issued handgun twice, striking Babadjide twice in the torso.

Babadjide was airlifted to a local area hospital where is currently in stable condition and expected to survive.

Officer Betts was treated on the scene and later taken to a local area hospital for evaluation and placed on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of the investigation.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office are conducting an investigation into the shooting at the request of Cocoa Beach Police Chief Bryan Holmes.