Vernon Brown {BSO}
By Ryan Yousefi
A driver faces felony charges after firing a BB gun at another moving vehicle in Margate.
On April 4, a man contacted the Margate Police Department to report that another driver driving northbound near the 3100 block of North State Road 7 had shot him with a BB gun.
According to the police report, the driver told officers that he heard the impact of objects against his vehicle. When he looked to his right, he saw a man in a Chevy Impala, later identified as Vernon Lavell Brown, 35, of Fort Lauderdale, with his windows down, pulling a BB gun back into his car.
The victim told officers that rather than engage or follow Brown; he watched as he took an access road onto Sample Road and traveled eastbound. The victim told officers once clear of the altercation, he pulled over to assess the damage, collect himself, and contact police.
Armed with a general location of where the incident took place, Margate Police were able to view surveillance video footage of the Impala driver who shot at the victim.
On April 20, police presented the victim with a double-blind photo lineup that included Brown, the vehicle’s registered owner. According to records, the victim immediately identified Brown as the man that had shot at him in traffic.
On May 4, Brown was located in Fort Lauderdale and taken into custody for questioning about his alleged involvement in the shooting. During the interview, Brown reportedly admitted to having a BB gun-style rifle in his vehicle, claiming he was only pumping it because he thought it was jammed.
Brown also alleges he had only accidentally fired the BB gun into his vehicle twice but denied intentionally shooting at the victim or his car.
After positively identifying Brown as the suspect and driver of the vehicle involved in the crime, Margate Police arrested and transported him to the Main Broward County Jail. He was later released after posting a $5,000 bond.
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