Florida Police have stated that they will not be charging a man who shot at the car of a delivery driver who went to the wrong address by mistake.
Waldes Thomas Jr. and his colleague Diamond Harley D'arville attempted to make a grocery delivery on April 15. They were in discussions with the customer over the phone who was giving directions to the property, as reported by NBC News.
Unknowingly, the Instacart delivery driver pulled up to the house of 43-year-old Antonio Caccavale, which was next door to the house of the intended customer Daniel Orta.
There is no footage of the incident, so police have used the accounts of all involved to build the story of what happened, with the Instacart employees claiming that Caccavale approached their vehicle aggressively.
Police reports revealed that the pair stated that the 43-year-old became "latched" onto their vehicle, while Caccavale said that his foot was run over as the pair attempted to flee the scene, so he opened fire at the car to prevent further injury.
Caccavale was armed with a semi-automatic Smith & Wesson revolver, and he claims that he was attempting to shoot the tires of the vehicle.
The police report, as cited by NBC, read: "He stated that he shot out three rounds at the vehicle after the vehicle struck him. He stated he fired his gun at the vehicle because he was in fear for his and his children's safety."
Thomas Jr. and D'arville were uninjured but understandably shaken following the ordeal, as they drove a few blocks away where police found the car damaged with bullet holes.
The pair reported that they only heard gunfire as they were attempting to flee the scene due to Caccavale's "aggressive behavior".
"I had seen him pull out a gun and that’s when I said, ‘We got to go, we got to go,’” D’arville said. "I was scared, I’m not going to lie."
Florida police have revealed that Caccavale will not be charged as his actions were deemed justifiable due to his fear. Likewise, the delivery drivers will not be charged.
Detective Patrick Di Cintio said: "Each party appear justified in their actions based on the circumstances they perceived."
It is unknown whether Caccavale was let off due to Florida's "stand your ground" law, which means residents do not need to retreat before using deadly force to protect themselves, their family, and their property.
In a statement, Instacart said: "The safety of the entire Instacart community is incredibly important to us, and we take immediate action when we receive reports of violence or threats of violence made against any member of the Instacart community."
