Man shot by Cocoa officer, security guard files lawsuit against property management

A man shot by a police officer and security gaurd at a Cocoa apartment complex last year has had his assault charges dropped by the State Attorney’s Office — and is now filing a lawsuit against the property’s managers, according to court records.

Intense body camera video from Cocoa Officer Clyde Hilliard shows gunfire at the Village Greene apartments on Oct. 13, 2022, which is when police said security guard Michael Ulery shot at Dexter Bray.

In an arrest affidavit, police said Ulery was helping a tow-truck driver tow Bray’s car from the property when Bray came out of his apartment and pointed a gun at them. Investigators said the security guard and tow-truck driver told them that Bray had fired his gun.

As a result, Ulery and Hilliard shot Bray, the affidavit shows. According to a new lawsuit, Bray became permanently injured because of the shootings.

Bray was airlifted to the hospital following the shootings and faced charges of aggravated assault with a firearm.

However, the State Attorney’s Office later dropped the charges on March 31. Investigators said that the magazine on Bray’s firearm was full, meaning that Bray hadn’t fired his gun — in contrast to what the security guard and tow-truck driver initially claimed.

Now, Bray is suing the homeowner’s association, property management and apartment security for damages in excess of $50,000 for Bray’s “extreme pain and suffering.”

The lawsuit blames the security company’s “negligent training and supervision” and calls the security guard “unfit in his role.”

Cocoa police said the department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement found that Hilliard didn’t break the law or any other policies. Since the shooting, police said Hilliard has returned to work.