A Charlotte County deputy was tragically shot and killed during a traffic stop on Sunday afternoon. The heartbreaking incident happened at a Chevron gas station on Tamiami Trail in Charlotte Harbor, Florida.
Deputy Cpl. Elio Diaz had pulled over a pickup truck around 3 p.m. when the driver, Andrew Mostyn Jr., 24, suddenly pulled out a rifle and shot him. Diaz was rushed to the hospital, but sadly, he didn’t survive his injuries.
One of the gas station employees, Michelle Pardo, was among the first to respond and tried desperately to save Diaz’s life.
“The 911 dispatcher talked me through how to do CPR,” Pardo said, holding back tears. “I need his family to know that I did everything I could. I tried, I really did. If you see something like that, you should help—if you can help, just do it.”
Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell spoke at a press conference, remembering Diaz as not just a great deputy but also a loving family man.
“Elio was a friend,” Prummell said. “He loved his children, and he was a really good cop. He’s going to be missed.”
After the shooting, a manhunt began for Mostyn. His pickup truck was later found at a Popeyes restaurant on King’s Highway. When deputies approached him, Mostyn reached for a rifle again, forcing the officers to shoot.
Mostyn was taken to the hospital, where he later died.
Although he had no criminal record in Charlotte County, officials shared that Mostyn had been reported missing earlier this year in Maryland.
This devastating event has left the community mourning the loss of a dedicated deputy, a friend, and a father.
