POLK COUNTY, Fla. – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal shooting that occurred on Monday, March 25, 2024, in the unincorporated area of Bowling Green, south of Fort Meade.
Around 9:30 a.m. Monday, PCSO received a 911 call from 41-year-old Jose Rivera, Sr., of Wauchula, who told the call-taker that he had just shot his brother in self-defense at a harvesting business where Jose works, located at 290 Old Bowling Green Road.
When first responders arrived, they found 32-year-old Samuel Rivera with three gunshot wounds on his body. They rendered first aid and rushed him to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.
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According to the witnesses and the investigation so far, Samuel had an argument with Jose at a family party on Sunday about wanting to borrow a family member’s four-wheeler. Jose would not allow Samuel to borrow it because Samuel had previously battered the owner of the four-wheeler back in June 2023.
On Monday morning, Samuel told different family members that he was still angry with Jose about being denied the four-wheeler and that he was going to “beat his a**.”
Samuel also called and threatened the owner of the four-wheeler. On Monday morning, Samuel went to Jose’s place of business before Jose arrived.
When Jose arrived, Samuel immediately and violently confronted Jose, who recently had significant eye surgery.
Jose kept his hands in his pockets as Samuel attacked him.
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Several others witnessed this at the scene.
While being actively punched on his body, head, and back, Jose retrieved a handgun from inside his truck. Samuel grabbed the gun, and a struggle for possession of the firearm ensued, at which point one round was fired, striking Samuel on the top of his foot.
Samuel looked down at his foot, then aggressively charged Jose again with his fists clenched. Jose then shot Samuel two times in his upper body.
“This investigation is still ongoing, but based on witnesses at the scene, it appears that Samuel Rivera, a violent and out-of-control convicted felon, through his own actions, created such an element of fear that the victim was forced to protect himself with a firearm. Trying to solve a dispute with violence never ends well,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
Samuel is a registered violent felony offender in Florida and was on probation at the time this crime occurred for possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon and drug possession.
His criminal history includes 12 previous felonies and four previous misdemeanors dating back to 2012. In 2015, he was sentenced to five years in prison for aggravated stalking (Hardee County).
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