Florida Man Hunted Down a Black FedEx Driver, Shot Him 7 Times, and Waited 20 Minutes to Call 911 — Then Tried to Claim Stand Your Ground
Authorities say a road rage incident took a deadly turn after a Florida driver followed a FedEx driver to a distribution center and murdered him in front of his girlfriend.
Now, 24-year-old Tyler Brandon Vidro faces first-degree murder and aggravated stalking in connection with the death of Nathaniel Padgett in Riviera Beach on April 16.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, Padgett was driving a FedEx truck on the Florida Turnpike when Vidro pulled up beside him, “lowered his window and began shrugging his shoulders and raising his hand up, in an attempt to provoke a confrontation.”
Padgett reportedly ignored the gestures and drove to a FedEx hub. His girlfriend was riding with him at the time. Vidro followed him, the affidavit states.
When Padgett parked the truck inside a private parking lot, Vidro was right behind him, authorities say.
Padgett went inside the building, and when he returned, he walked to his personal vehicle. Vidro allegedly was waiting for Padgett and confronted him, accusing him of crashing into his car.
Surveillance video showed Vidro tell Padgett, “You hit my car,” according to the affidavit.
Padgett denied the accusation and tried to walk away from Vidro, saying, “What the f— are you gonna do, get the f— out of my face.”
Authorities say Padgett hopped into his truck and drove to another part of the parking lot, but Vidro just pursued him, screeching his tires in the process.
Padgett then drove to a private road, got out of his car, and picked up a cinder block, then walked to Vidro’s car and said, “What’s up, I don’t give a f— about that, you following me, I did not throw s— at your car.”
That’s when Vidro pulled out a gun and opened fire on Padgett, the affidavit states. Authorities say Vidro shot him seven times in the chest, abdomen, arm and leg. Padgett’s girlfriend called 911. Cops believe Vidro fired nine shots in total.
“My boyfriend just got shot! We’re at the FedEx warehouse!” the girlfriend told the dispatcher, according to a recording of the call obtained by WPBF.
Padgett’s girlfriend is heard trying to comfort Padgett while she was on the phone with dispatchers.
“OK. OK. Come on,” she said.
“I’m going to die, baby,” Padgett said.
“No, you’re not! You’re not! Come on! You’re not!” his girlfriend replied.
Padgett died after being rushed to a local hospital.
Roughly 20 minutes after the shooting, court documents say that Vidro dialed 911 himself.
“I didn’t think to call you guys, but the lawyer told me to,” Vidro said on the call.
Vidro reportedly claimed self-defense and explained that he used his firearm and “emptied the magazine,” but only because he felt his life was in danger.
Florida’s stand your ground laws apply only to individuals who are in a place they have a lawful right to be, are not already engaged in criminal activity, and are not the initial aggressors in a confrontation. Detectives say the evidence clearly shows Vidro was never authorized to be at the FedEx distribution center and made multiple attempts to provoke Padgett. Authorities also maintain that his actions were consistent with aggravated stalking.
Padgett was the sole individual in this confrontation protected by the stand your ground laws, according to authorities.
“The pattern of behavior documented in this investigation — including Vidro tracking Padgett and [his girlfriend] across multiple locations, appearing uninvited at a restricted private property, and repeatedly closing distance despite Padgett’s attempts to withdraw — is consistent with the elements of aggravated stalking,” detectives wrote. “Florida law does not extend Stand Your Ground protections to a person engaged in criminal activity at the time force is used.”
Vidro was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail, where he remains without bond.
A GoFundMe launched by Padgett’s family members says, “Nate, who many knew affectionately as ‘Fat,’ lost his life as the result of a senseless road rage incident. He was loving, outspoken, and full of life. He was true go-getter who cared deeply about those around him. Above all, he was an incredible father to his three children Niya, Ty’Darrius, and Ava who meant everything to him.”