A Brevard County deputy has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with what the Sheriff's Office says was a road-rage incident that left a man dead last week.

  • Deputy Yousef Hafza faces 2nd-degree murder charges
  • Clarence Howard of Palm Bay died at hospital
  • Sheriff's Office described interaction as road-rage incident

Deputy Yousef Hafza, 32, of West Melbourne, was arrested by Florida Department of Law Enforcement Agents on Tuesday morning. He faces charges of second-degree murder with a firearm and attempted second-degree murder with a firearm.

Clarence Mahogany X. Howard, 22, of Palm Bay was shot Sunday, June 19 at the intersection of St. Johns Heritage Parkway and Emerson Road during an incident with Hafza, who was off-duty at the time.

"From what I've been told, he was out running errands," Brevard Sheriff Wayne Ivey said Tuesday.

An FDLE investigation determined that Hafza's and another vehicle almost collided just after 11 a.m. that day. The other vehicle followed Hafza's vehicle. When they reached that intersection, the people in both vehicles got out. During the interaction, Hafza, who did not identify himself as a law-enforcement officer, fired his weapon, and the passenger of the other vehicle was shot, FDLE said.

Howard was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Hafza, an 11-year law-enforcement veteran, including working for Palm Bay and West Melbourne Police, was placed on paid administrative leave after the shooting, pending an investigation. He has been with the Brevard Sheriff's Office since November 2015.

"There appeared to be a self defense mechanism to it, but I also say we need to see where all the pieces come together, and that's why it was so important to have an independent investigation," Ivey said.

Hafza's first court appearance was waived Tuesday. Martin White, his attorney, said, "He's upset and distraught over the totality of the circumstances, but he's hanging in there."