Just before 2 a.m. on March 31, a fight outside the Grove bar on 14th Avenue in Vero Beach ended with the owner, Andy Capak, shot.
”Oh my God!", screamed one caller to the 911 dispatcher. "Shots fired. Someone down I need EMS, I need cops," said another.
At least two callers, get a license plate number from a possible suspect vehicle, a sport-utility vehicle, and one claims to see the shooter.
“This dude is walking into the alley. He’s wearing a blue shirt, he’s trying to blend in to the crowd," said the caller.
A moment later, that same caller, still on the line, sounds like he’s not talking directly with dispatch at one point.
“No there’s a cop … just got here. He’s in a blue shirt, long black dreads. Cop talking to him right now. Now he’s walking away, the cop is letting him get away. Can you contact the cop that's right there?” The caller asks someone.
So, why was that man not detained?
The initial police report says witnesses described the suspect having short cropped hair and a light beard, and that a Honda Accord, not a sport-utility vehicle was involved.
However, the first paragraph of the police narrative mentions two men spotted not long before the shooting at a 7-Eleven on U.S. 1 in an SUV.
The officer heard loud music, and saw a man with dread locks dancing near the car.
He followed them as they drove around the corner and parked in front of the Grove.
The report then states, “The driver appeared to obey all traffic laws providing no reasonable suspicion to investigate any further.”
Minutes later, the shots rang out.
Police would not comment specifically on the recordings. A police spokesperson says their investigation continues and they are working with the state attorney’s office.
