Pasco County Sheriff's Office, Florida
End of Watch: Sunday, June 1, 2003
Age: 57
Tour of Duty: 31 years
Badge Number: 0037
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: June 1, 2003
Weapon Used: Rifle; AK-47
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life in prison
Lieutenant Bo Harrison was shot and killed while he sat in his patrol car observing activity at nightclub U.S. Route 301 in Lacoochee at approximately 2:00 am.
Several deputies who were across the street heard a gunshot and went to investigate. They located Lieutenant Harrison in his patrol car in the parking lot of a market across the street from the nightclub suffering from a gunshot wound to the back. He was transported to Dade City Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Lieutenant Harrison had been shot with a high-powered rifle by a sniper who was in the nearby woods. The shot went through the trunk of the car and struck him in the back.
A 19-year-old suspect turned himself in two days later and was charged in connection with Lieutenant Harrison's murder. He admitted to shooting at the patrol in retaliation for a previous incident in which his friend died in a crash while fleeing from police officers. The man was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison with no parole.
Lieutenant Harrison was a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War. He had served with the Pasco County Sheriff's Office for 31 years, and his retirement date was only 15 days away. He is survived by his son and two daughters.