Note: Originally reported in February 2017 — Prosecutors have decided not to charge a Florida man who shot and killed an assailant attacking a sheriff’s deputy on Interstate 75.
Ashad Russell, 35, stepped in when he saw Lee County Sheriff’s Deputy First Class Dean Bardes being beaten by Edward Strother, 53, during a traffic stop. According to investigators, Strother had been pulled over for speeding, then allegedly tackled Bardes to the ground and began punching him repeatedly.
Russell fired to stop the assault, saving the deputy’s life, authorities said. The State Attorney’s Office formally cleared him of any wrongdoing.
