DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A 23-year-old man was shot to death in the 600 block of Verdell Street near South Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard at 6:49 p.m. Saturday, according to a story published in the Daytona Beach News-Journal. Headline Surfer was unable to reach anyone in the Daytona Beach Police Department to provide information about the shooting.
The News-Journal published the victim's name through neighborhood sources, but it was not confirmed by police, according to the published story. Twice the 24/7 Internet newspaper contacted the police force and was transferred to two different public information officers, including one on vacation, where messages were left, but not returned.
Headline Surfer called a third time and was transferred to a Lt. James Floyd, who said, "We've given out a press and all information goes out through the PIO." Floyd said just after 5 p.m. he would pass on Headline Surfer's telephone number to the PIO. Headline Surfer has not received a call back.
When informed by Headline Surfer that it had not received a press release on Saturday's homicide, the lieutenant said he would call the PIO on duty and pass it on.
Daytona Beach police have excluded Headline Surfer from timely press releases and police reports given to other news media outlets dating back to mid-summer after Headline Surfer published an investigative story on Police Chief Michael Chitwood's promotion of Jim Newcomb from lieutenant to captain despite alleged mistreatment of women cops under his command.
The story, headlined, Daytona police chief promotes patrol supervisor who taunted female cop for more than a year, garnered Headline Surfer two of its four journalism awards last month in the 2012 Florida Press Club journalism contest.
Previous calls to Chitwood and his regularly assigned PIO, Jimmy Flynt, have gone unanswered.
Headline Surfer has written to city administration regarding the situation, but has yet to receive a response. Mayor Derrick Henry told Headline Surfer at the Christmas parade last weekend that he received a copy of the complaint and would look into it as well. He could not be reached for comment today.