A man shot and killed by a Hollywood police officer last week was being investigated due to a dispute with his neighbor over a shared fence, according to 911 calls released Thursday.
Police identified the man in a news release as Juan Wu, 48.
“I’m calling because I’m having a situation with a neighbor here,” a woman told a 911 call-taker about 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 10. “I have a metal fence and we share that, but it’s my fence.”
The woman went on to tell the call-taker that her neighbor had “messed up” the fence between their two houses. The dispute took place near North 66th Avenue and Eaton Street.
“Right now, in front of our faces, he hit the fence and messed it up,” she said. When her husband went to talk to him, “he started shouting at him and cursing him out.”
The neighbor then went back to his house while her son had gone to talk to him, she said. The call-taker asked if the neighbor had any weapons. She said she didn’t know of any.
“I don’t want any problems but obviously something has to happen,” she said.
The call-taker told them to stay separated until police arrived.
The officer then arrived and met with the fence owners, who relayed what had taken place. A short while later, the officer met with Wu.
Hollywood Police have not identified the officer or provided the officer’s age or gender.
At some point, while the officer was investigating Wu over the suspected vandalism of the fence, he “began attacking the officer and a physical altercation ensued,” the release states. The officer tried to use a Taser, but it was “ineffective.”
Then, “fearing for their life,” the officer shot Wu. The release does not say where Wu was shot or how many times. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The officer also received treatment for injuries and was released.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating.
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