A Tampa man put on a bullet-proof vest and wondered if it works. That is where the story starts to get cloudy…
According to a Tampa police report, Joaquin Mendez, donned a bullet-proof vest. He wondered out loud how well it would perform. His cousin, Alexandro Garibaldi, 24, then pulled out a gun and fired.
Officers who responded to the scene found Mendez with a gunshot wound in his chest. He later died after being transported to a hospital.
According to the report, Garibaldi initially told police that he found his cousin wounded, outside the house, after he heard a gunshot, but police said they have a witness who described seeing Garibaldi shoot Mendez.
In fact, the witness’s story is quite different. The witness said that the victim Joaquin Mendez, 23, sat in a chair and put on a bullet proof vest. He wondered out loud whether it still worked. Garibaldi took out a handgun, stated “Let’s see,” and shot at the vest. The vest was found in the house with a projectile entrance hole, according to TPD.
Menez later died in the hospital.
Garibaldi has been arrested, and will be charged with “manslaughter with a weapon” as well as “felon in possession of a firearm.”
Watch the video report below: