Cleared by state officials in the 2024 death of 39-year-old Morey Clemmons, Boca Raton police gave their first public accounting of the shooting Monday.
Rather than recall the events himself, Chief Jarad Phelps presented a 10-minute video compilation of dispatch audio, surveillance footage and witness accounts. It began with a typed warning — the following may be distressing — and a recording of the 911 call that prompted officers' search for Clemmons at 11:11 a.m. on Dec. 18, 2024.
The caller, a woman, described a "gentleman" who seemed "very out of it," standing in the middle of the street. He "could get hit by a car," she said. Within minutes, he was killed instead by Officer Michael Super.
Their encounter wasn't confrontational from the start.
Super, upon finding Clemmons walking along Palmetto Park Road, told dispatch "everything was OK."
"Male was walking on the sidewalk and did not need or want any police assistance," he noted. "No crime observed."
Super cleared the call at 11:18 a.m. Two minutes later, for reasons not specified Monday, Super requested backup and told his colleagues he wanted to try speaking with Clemmons again. He approached and watched Clemmons cross Palmetto Park Road, seemingly "without regard" for passing cars.
Super followed him on foot. When Clemmons began to run, Super did, too. He tried to tase Clemmons twice, Phelps said, but failed. He drew his firearm next.
Officer's body-camera wasn't recording, chief says
Phelps said Super was wearing a body camera at the time, but he hadn't turned it on. It was an onlooker who captured the moments leading up to Clemmons' death on a cellphone.
Phelps played the clip Monday. In it, Super and Clemmons faced one another on Northwest Second Avenue. Clemmons, walking quickly with his fists clenched at his sides, advanced on Super, who walked backward with a handgun raised and aimed at Clemmons.
Super and Clemmons screamed at one another; Super to "get on the f***ing ground" and Clemmons that he "ain't done s*** to you." They repeated this exchange three times, Clemmons advancing all the while, before Super pulled the trigger.
The video cut out at the sound of rapid gunfire. It was replaced with a blank screen and a recording of Super's voice: "Shots fired!"
Super was placed on paid administrative leave after the shooting, which is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings. Super returned to work in January 2025.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigated the shooting and gave its findings to the State Attorney's Office, which ruled on Aug. 26 that Super's actions were "objectively reasonable under the circumstances and his actions were legally justified."
Phelps, who was not chief at the time of the shooting, said Boca Raton police will conduct its own administrative review to determine whether Super abided by agency policy. Phelps added that he met with Clemmons' family and their attorney two hours earlier to give them the first look at Monday's presentation.
"It was a very cordial, very pleasant meeting," he said. "They're looking for closure."
Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 'Shots fired!' Bystander video shows moments before officer killed man
