8-year-old boy witnessed father Brian Ford’s fatal shooting by elderly neighbor Edward Druzolowski over trimming trees across property lines: cops

An 8-year-old boy witnessed the fatal shooting of his father who was gunned down by an elderly neighbor for trimming tree limbs across the man’s property line in Florida, officials and court records revealed.

Edward Druzolowski, 78, was arrested by Volusia County Sheriff’s deputies Sunday night, as seen in a body camera video released by the agency, after calling 911 to report that he had shot 42-year-old Brian Ford.

“Somebody is dead over tree branches. Are you kidding me?” Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood told the station WFTV.

“I can’t imagine what that 8-year-old little boy is going through his mind that he watched his father die in front of him.”

Druzolowski, who is now facing a second-degree murder charge, suggested that he opened fire in self-defense.

“I was pointing a gun at him at the time to try to get him off my property and he kept walking towards me really close, so I shot him,” the suspect admitted to an emergency dispatcher.

Druzolowski told detectives that he was afraid of Ford because he had served time in jail, but Sheriff Chitwood said it did not excuse his violent actions.

Druzolowski said during an interview with a detective that he was watching football games at his home in the 1800 block of Alameda Drive in DeLeon Springs when his wife told him that Ford was cutting tree limbs on their property.

The homeowner grabbed his loaded .357 Magnum revolver from his nightstand and, holding the firearm behind his back, headed to his backyard to confront Ford and order him off his land, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by The Post. 

The 42-year-old allegedly responded “something to the effect of ‘mind your business,’” followed by a string of expletives.

Druzolowski then pointed his gun and Ford, who asked if the older man was going to shoot him — and then began advancing towards the armed neighbor.

The 78-year-old said he shouted “Stop right now or I’ll shoot,” and when Ford did not comply and continued moving close, he pulled the trigger the first time, but no bullet came out because he said he “keeps his first two [rounds] empty for safety reasons.”

Ford heard the “click” of the revolver but still would not stop, Druzolowski said. That is when he squeezed the trigger again — and this time shot Ford in the chest area.

He speculated that the round struck Ford, who was not wearing a shirt, in one of his lungs.

The gunman then told his wife to call 911 to get the victim medical help. Ford died on the spot.

Druzolowski’s wife was quoted as telling an emergency dispatcher of Ford’s fatal shooting that her husband only “meant to scare him and he hit him.”

Druzolowski acknowledged to the authorities that Ford did not have any weapon in his hands during their confrontation and that at no time did he threaten to kill or harm him.

His wife also told investigators that Ford was unarmed and made no verbal threats to hurt her husband.

However, Ford’s young son, who was in the yard and witnessed his father’s death, later told investigators that his father told Druzolowski, “I’ll cut your head off with the chain saw” he claimed his dad was holding, but which was not on.

The affidavit noted that when officers responded to the scene, they found the chainsaw and two knives next to Ford’s lifeless body lying face up in Druzolowski’s yard.

Druzolowski and Ford had no prior history of feuds, but the elderly suspect said he had stopped talking to Ford a couple of years ago because his frequent run-ins with the law “caused him fear” after the 42-year-old bragged about winning fights while in prison.  

The 78-year-old also said that he thought that if he pointed the gun at Ford, the man would leave his yard. But as the argument escalated, Druzolowski claimed “he was afraid [Ford] would have hurt or killed him if he did not shoot him.”

Druzolowski also mentioned that he suffers from osteoporosis — a bone disease — and feared that if he was pushed by Ford it “would have hurt really bad.”

“He stated the medical condition he is in, he would not confront anyone without a firearm,” according to the affidavit. “With [Ford’s] reputation he felt safer with a gun in his hands.”

Chitwood predicted that Druzolowski would make a “Stand Your Ground” case and argue that he opened fire in self-defense because he was in fear for his life, especially given his medical condition — but the sheriff said the septuagenarian should have called the police instead of taking matters into his own hands.

“You just can’t go around shooting people just because they step on your property,” said Chitwood, who called Ford’s death “senseless.”

Druzolowski remained in the county jail without bond. He is due back in court for an arraignment on October 12.