Lee County Sheriff's Office, Florida
End of Watch: Saturday, February 12, 1972
Age: 28
Tour of Duty: 3 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: February 12, 1972
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Sentenced to 50 years
Deputy Eva was shot and killed after stopping an escapee. He had conducted a traffic stop on a suspected stolen vehicle and recognized the driver as the escaped prisoner. After placing the suspect under arrest, the prisoner began to resist and during the scuffle managed to get Deputy Eva's weapon and fatally shot him. A conservation officer with Deputy Eva was shot and seriously wounded. He managed to crawl back to the patrol car and call for help. The dispatcher who took the call was Deputy Eva's wife. The 18-year-old suspect fled the scene, but was later apprehended.
The suspect was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 30 years. He received an additional 20 years for attempted murder of the conservation officer and several other charges.
Deputy Eva had been with the agency for three years and was survived by his wife and two children.