Background: The Wawa location in Zephyrhills, Fla. (Google Maps). Inset: Quinson Croson (Hillsborough County Sheriff”s Office).
A Florida man was charged with attempted murder after police said he allegedly shot an acquaintance after chasing him down in his garbage truck.
In a press release posted to Facebook on Monday, the Zephyrhills Police Department stated that 46-year-old Quinson Croson was arrested following an incident involving an alleged shooting, a “verbal exchange” at a Wawa gas station, and a garbage truck chase. Police said that detectives first responded to AdventHealth Zephyrhills hospital where Brandon Raymon Lee, whose age was not provided, arrived with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his right arm.
Lee reportedly told police that Croson shot him after a verbal confrontation at Wawa “quickly escalated into violence.”
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According to a criminal complaint reviewed by Law&Crime, Lee and his co-worker J’Nyith Reyes, ran into Croson at the Wawa on Friday morning. Lee, who knew Croson as the owner of a local bar, shook Croson’s hand and noticed that he smelled of alcohol. He told police that “out of concern,” he told Croson “in a friendly manner” that he should go home. In response, Croson became angry, and the men started to argue.
Reyes later told police that during the conversation, Lee called Croson “silly,” and this may have been what triggered Croson, according to the complaint.
Local NBC affiliate WFLA interviewed Zephyrhills Police Chief Derek Brewer, who told the outlet that the advice was apparently received by Croson “as some sort of disrespect.” Brewer also said that Lee “was trying to keep [Croson] from hurting himself or hurting someone else, showed some compassion. He was really trying to do the right thing.”
Despite Lee’s good intentions, Croson got into his SUV and followed Lee and Reyes to the garbage truck they were using for work that morning.
Dashcam footage from the truck was provided to WFLA by the police department and showed Lee and Reyes in the front seats. One of them shouted to Croson, “Chill, bro!”
During the chase, police stated that Croson allegedly “retrieved a handgun from his vehicle and fired multiple rounds at the garbage truck while pursuing it through city streets.” Lee was hit in his right arm.
Croson’s SUV then collided with the garbage truck, which caused Reyes to be ejected from the passenger side of the vehicle. He sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at AdventHealth Dade City. Croson then allegedly fled the scene in his damaged SUV.
Police said Croson was eventually located and taken into custody. He was charged with two counts of attempted homicide and one count of possession of a weapon by a gang-related felon. He is in custody at the Pasco County Detention Center, where he is being held without bail.
His next court date was not made available.
