A pair of Osceola Country Sheriff’s deputies were injured on Saturday morning when a driver attempted to cut through a funeral procession for one of the victims of last weekend’s tragic shooting at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub.
The Palm Beach Post reports that the driver grew impatient waiting for the funeral procession for 35-year old Jean Carlos Mendez Perez in Kissimmee, Florida and impulsively pulled out into an intersection that was being blocked by officers on motorcycles when she saw a gap in the line of cars.
Scene of crash. Deputies were on motorcycles attempting to block intersection for #PulseShooting funeral procession. pic.twitter.com/4Bk6gJuJFZ
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) June 18, 2016
Driver of car saw gap in line and tried to cross. Deputies collided w/car when it unexpectedly crossed intersection. pic.twitter.com/MWVy82POd9
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) June 18, 2016
The two deputies who were hit by the motorist’s vehicle are reportedly in stable condition. Law enforcement officials don’t believe there was malicious intent behind the incident.
Perez was one of the 49 people people killed in the terrorist attack at one of the Orlando’s gay hot spots, which was celebrating “Latino night” at the time of the shooting—one of the deadliest in the nation’s history. Perez’s funeral was one of many in the area for victims of the attack.
Other memorials were marked by solidarity rather that irresponsible behavior. On Friday, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays held a “Pride Night” to honor the victims of the Pulse shooting. The game saw the highest level of attendance of any Devil Rays home game for the past decade.
H/T Palm Beach Post