Teen shot by Rockledge officer turns himself in to authorities

17-year-old accused of breaking into cars

ROCKLEDGE, Fla. – A 17-year-old who was shot in the shoulder by a Rockledge police officer has turned himself in to authorities, police said.

Alexzander Houston, who was recently released from a hospital, turned himself in Monday at the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, officials said.

Houston faces three felony counts of vehicle burglary and one felony count of grand theft in connection with what police said was a series of break-ins that led to the Dec. 1 confrontation.

Police said Houston was a passenger in a Toyota Camry that was being driven by a 15-year-old, who was also arrested.

The driver was arrested on charges of burglary and grand theft. He told investigators that he and his friend had been "car hopping," or pulling car door handles to see if they could get in, according to police.

Police searched the Camry and said they found a shotgun.

"We’re still doing a history on it to see if it was stolen," a police spokesman said.

Houston will appear before a juvenile court judge as Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents continue to review the circumstances that led to his shooting. The state attorney's office has not made a decision on whether to pursue charges against the teen as an adult.

The officer involved in the shooting, Cpl. Nick Galluzzi, remains on administrative leave.

The incident was reported just before midnight Thursday near the intersections of Hawk and Cogswell streets shortly after residents called police to report several vehicle burglaries in the area. Officers arrived and said they spotted two teens in the Camry.

Police said the driver struck a patrol car before crashing into a nearby ditch. Galluzzi, a SWAT commander and a firearm instructor, confronted the older teen, who was lying on the ground.

Investigators said Galluzzi, with his weapon drawn, approached the ditch as police lights flashed behind him.

What happened next is being examined by FDLE investigators. The officer fired his weapon and the bullet pierced the teen’s shoulder and lodged in his chest. Galluzzi yelled "Don’t move! Don’t move" as the teen screamed in pain and asked, "Why you shot me? Oh, my God!"

Galluzzi told the teen, "You kept moving your hands.”

A review of Galluzzi’s personnel file shows a number of commendations over the years, including his participation in the Cocoa Police Department’s gun buyback program.