Florida man is charged with second-degree after shooting dead his neighbor’s adult son in front of victim’s his eight-year-old son 8, because he was trimming trees along their fence line

Edward Druzolowski, 78, is accused of murdering Brian Ford, 42, on Sunday in following an argument about trees along his property line in DeLeon Springs, Volusia County

The suspect’s wife called 911 claiming “My husband had it in his hand. He meant to scare him, and he hit him. He was on our property,” she said 

Ford’s mother who revealed her eight-year-old grandson was by his side when he was shot, said her son was doing yard work inside her property line

Druzolowski told cops he shot Ford after an argument ensued where he told Ford to get off his property with the victim responding, ‘Mind your business’

The 78-year-old argued that he was trying to prevent the fight from turning physical, as he had osteoporosis and being pushed ‘would have hurt really bad’

So far his defense based on Florida’s stand your ground rule, is not resonating with authorities, in the ‘killing of an unarmed man who posed no threat’

Sheriff Michael Chitwood called killing Brian Ford a ‘senseless’ crime, stating that he doesn’t believe it would be covered by Florida’s Stand Your Ground rule

Edward Druzolowski, 78, [photo], who is accused of shooting and killing his neighbor’s son, is charged with second-degree murder with a firearm. He is being held without bond at the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach

A Florida man was taken into custody after allegedly shooting and killing his long term neighbor’s adult son in front of the victim’s eight-year-old child following a dispute over pruned tree limbs straddling their property lines.
Edward Druzolowski, 78, is accused of fatally shooting Brian Ford, 42, while the younger man did yard work for his mother at her home in DeLeon Springs, Volusia County.

Brian Ford, 42, [photo], was shot dead by his mother’s neighbor Edward Druzolowski, 78, on Sunday as he was doing yard work on her property. His 8-year-old son was by his side when Druzolowski shot him

On September 17, police received two reports of a shooting around 7.13pm at 1880 Alameda Drive. According to court documents, Druzolowski said he was watching football when his wife told him that Ford was cutting branches on their property.
Druzolowski held the gun behind his back as he went into the yard to approach Ford.
The 78-year-old claims that he told the younger man to ‘get off’ his property, to which Ford responded, “Mind your business.”‘
Druzolowski adds that he then pointed his gun at Ford as they continued to argue, and threatened to shoot him, even pulling the trigger, as the first two rounds were kept empty ‘for safety reasons.’
When Ford kept moving forward, Druzolowski said he pulled the trigger again, which set off the gun.

Ford’s mother said the neighbor pointed the gun at her and her grandson after shooting Ford

After he shot him, 911 calls were placed. 
Druzolowski’s neighbor, Linda Ford, told police that her son had been trimming the trees at her house when the neighbor shot him. She also said her eight-year-old grandson was by his father’s side when the gun went off. 
‘I need emergency immediately! My neighbor just shot my son!’ Linda Ford is heard telling the operator in her frantic call.
Druzolowski’s wife in a separate 911 call, insisted her husband didn’t mean to kill his neighbor.
‘My husband took his gun but I think he meant to scare him but I think he killed him,’ the woman said.
‘He killed your neighbor?’ the dispatcher said.
‘I think so, he’s not moving.’

Brian Ford, [photo], was pronounced dead at the scene on Sunday, after his mother’s neighbor shot him during an argument with his young son nearby

Ford had been trimming tree branches on a fence line between the his mother’s property and the neighbor’s

Druzolowski claims he was he was watching TV on Sunday when his wife told him the neighbor’s son was on their property – he shot Brian Ford [photo], after an argument ensued where he told Ford to get off his property with the victim responding, ‘Mind your business.’ So far his defense based on Florida’s stand your ground rule, is not resonating with authorities

The first two deputies on the scene attempted life-saving measures but Ford was pronounced dead once EMS arrived.
The victim’s mother told WESH 2 that she was barely functioning following the crushing news of her son’s death but had her grandchildren to think about now. In addition to the 8-year-old, Brian also had an 18-year-old son.
Linda Ford said Brian came over for the weekend for a birthday celebration. He and his younger son were out of eyesight when a loud noise rang out.
‘I heard a big boom, and then the little one started screaming, “He shot my dad! He shot my dad!”’ she said.
She insisted that her son was working on her property, not the neighbor’s.
‘My fence is two feet inside my yard. So I go another two feet outside my fenced area,’ she said.
The suspect allegedly pointed the gun at her and her grandson.
‘Ed kept pointing the gun at him. He said, “Shut up, kid,” to him,’ she said.
‘And then Ed was pointing the gun at me. He was walking towards the fence line, and I backed up, and I was screaming through the yard.’

Linda Ford, the victim’s 78-year-old mother, says her son was actually on her property, as she owns another two feet of area outside the fence. She’s not only grieving her murdered son, but has to think about taking care of her grandchildren now that their father is gone

Druzolowski shot Ford claiming he feared for his life, still admitted that the victim was unarmed and made no threats.He was denied bail despite his assigned public defender arguing that he had no criminal background and should be allowed bail

Druzolowski told detectives that he never had problems with Ford before, but he had stopped speaking with the younger man years ago because his ‘reputation’ of getting in trouble with the law ’caused him fear.’
He added that he was trying to avoid being knocked to the ground during the altercation, as it ‘would have hurt really bad’ due to his osteoporosis.
Court documents show that two knives and the chainsaw Ford had been using to cut the trees were found near his body.
But assistant state attorney Dustin Haven said Druzolowski admitted that the victim was unarmed and made no threats.

Sheriff Michael Chitwood called killing Brian Ford a ‘senseless’ crime. He doesn’t believe it would be covered by Florida’s Stand Your Ground rule, which allows use of deadly force it’s ‘reasonably believed necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm’

The 78-year-old’s court-appointed public defender, Larry Avallone, pled his case for bond before withdrawing as counsel on September 19.
Volusia County Sheriff Michael Chitwood called the crime ‘senseless’ and said he didn’t think it would be covered by the state’s Stand Your Ground rule, which says a person may use deadly force ‘if he or she reasonably believes that using or threatening to use such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm.’
Druzolowski was charged with second-degree murder with a firearm. He is being held without bond at the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach.