Billy Day, 31, of Crestview, Florida, died on August 16, 2025, after an officer-involved shooting following a prolonged standoff in the parking lot of the Tidal Wave Auto Spa on South Ferdon Boulevard. Police say they encountered Day around 2 a.m. inside a vehicle at the closed business, that he was armed and making suicidal statements, and that officers spent nearly three hours attempting to de-escalate before firing when they say he pointed a gun at an officer. WEAR footage later showed numerous bullet holes in the vehicle and shattered windows; multiple outlets reported no officers were injured.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement assumed the independent investigation and Crestview Police deferred further comment to state investigators. Family members publicly challenged the official chronology: Day’s mother described his killing as a wrongful death catastrophe and alleged excessive gunfire, saying she had been in contact with him during the standoff before officers told her to stop calling. As of the latest reporting in August and September 2025, no arrests had been announced and no officer has been publicly identified as a suspect.

What did anyone in the area see or hear that night, and can anyone with information about the standoff or the vehicle help the state inquiry?