CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Thursday marks one year since Danny Palato, 39, was shot and killed by Clay County Sheriff’s deputies. Now, his father, Fred, wants more information about what happened.
The Sheriff’s Office says a call started in Orange Park and ended with a pursuit on Blanding Boulevard, where the shooting happened one year ago. The Sheriff’s Office handed the case over the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), which says they’re still investigating what led to the shooting.
Palato’s father and his attorney spoke to News4JAX Wednesday, saying he waited a year because he wanted to be respectful to law enforcement and the process they have to go through to complete an investigation.
The state attorney’s office said the investigation is still ongoing, but Palato didn’t think it would take this long. He’s also concerned with the fact the Clay County Sheriff’s Office never reached out and acknowledged the loss.
Fred says his son, Danny, was a husband, father of two and a hard worker. “Good father, very respectful, God fearing,” he said.
They last saw each other April 27, 2022. Fred Palato said the day started with a domestic dispute at Danny’s home where Orange Park Police removed guns from the house.
Danny left and went to his father. “I could tell he was distraught, apparently he went home and had not a good time you know with his depression, he was depressed,” Fred said.
His daughter-in-law said Danny saw police cars and got anxious. That’s when dash cam video shows Danny driving between two cars, with police chasing him.
Deputies do a pit maneuver, Danny’s car spins, a deputy gets out of his car and runs toward him. In the video, you can see ten seconds go by before multiple shots are fired.
When asked how he found out what happened Fred said his daughter-in-law called him. She told him that Danny was shot and killed. “I’ve been a law-and-order person. For 50 years, I’ve been involved with the military, in my opinion, protecting our country,” Fred said. “But I have a different view now. I don’t take carte blanche that ‘oh, you’re an officer--so you’re right.’ I don’t do that anymore. It’s made me look with a much more jaundice eye at what we would call authorities.”
Danny’s father said the number of shots was excessive and he wants to know what happened in the seconds leading to deputies firing. If he son was in the wrong, Fred Palato said he will accept it, but he has to know the facts.
An agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement told Palato there was no weapon in Danny’s car. It’s been a year, but because the investigation is ongoing, authorities have not released a report.
“This gentleman doesn’t even have the benefit of an autopsy report,” attorney Brett Hastings said. Hastings is Fred Palato’s attorney and has been in contact with the State Attorney’s Office. Hastings says Palato never heard from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
“We just don’t understand how a three to five second engagement with shots coming from all different directions is in conformity with police procedures and protocols,” Hastings said. “And really how that can be justified no matter what else was going around, going on with the situation.”
Palato feels he or his daughter-in-law should’ve heard from the Sheriff’s Office.
“You’re responsible,” Fred said. “You should have let the family know, how hard would that have been to say ‘we’re having an investigation.’ And this may take a while. Please feel free to call us, but sorry for your loss.”
He says he’s not in this for retribution, or compensation.
Palato just wants the truth – because he, his family, and Daniel’s children, have to live with this. News4JAX reached out to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, they say there are no new updates and they do not comment on FDLE’s independent investigations.