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Tow truck driver fatally shoots car owner in Fort Lauderdale during repossession attempt, police say

Tow truck driver fatally shoots car owner in Fort Lauderdale during repossession attempt, police say
Tow truck driver fatally shoots car owner in Fort Lauderdale during repossession attempt, police say 02:17

FORT LAUDERDALE -- A tow truck driver shot and killed the owner of a car that was being repossessed Wednesday morning, according to Fort Lauderdale police.

Investigators identified the slain man as Clarence King, 38, of Fort Lauderdale. He died at the scene after being wounded.

Police received several calls shortly after 10 a.m. about a shooting in the 100 block of Carolina Avenue.

Investigators released a graphic 911 call the driver made after the shooting.

"Yo, yo, yo!" he said, clearly in distress. "I need an ambulance!"

When officers arrived, they found King's body before detaining the tow truck driver. Police said the driver, who was not immediately identified, is cooperating with the investigation.  

The tow truck driver's wife later called 911 to say her husband's phone kept freezing as he tried to call for help. The 911 dispatcher struggled to get the driver to provide her with his address but apparently received the address from other callers at the scene.

Lakeethie Sowell heard the gunfire from her apartment nearby

She said she walked out to the street and saw the tow truck driver standing over the man who was shot and killed 

"He was calm and as people came out he said I think I just killed the man."

Robert Sowell says he's puzzled because he saw the tow truck driver hook up the repossessed car and head south but for some reason, the tow truck driver came back.  And that's when the confrontation happened 

"If you took the vehicle why would you come back?" He said

Fort Lauderdale police asked anyone who saw the incident to contact them.

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