More than a year after the shootout that left two St. Petersburg police officers and his brother dead, boxer Jeff Lacy is speaking out in a new interview with Bay News 9.
The former super-middleweight world champion is the brother of Hydra Lacy Jr., who fatally shot Sgt. Thomas Baitinger and Officer Jeffrey Yaslowitz as the officers attempted to serve a warrant on Jan. 24, 2011.
After authorities demolished part of the home where Hydra Lacy was holed up, they confirmed that he, too, was dead.
Now, Jeff Lacy has opened up about the tragedy in a video interview with Bay News 9's Bright House Sports Network. Here are excerpts:
On why he's talking now: "Everybody is waiting to see what I have to say, and I didn't want to come across and disrespect the fathers that are lost to these families, much less feel like I come across biased.
"And I can't -- once I say something, it's a done deal. So I wanted to wait for the smoke to clear so I could be -- so I would have more thought and understand both sides.
"What happened, it all could've been prevented. It all could've been prevented just with one word: love."
On preventing tragedies: "I miss my brother, and I can't bring him back. I can't bring him back, but there's a million things going through my head since I've remembered -- things that I would do differently.
"You have no idea how powerful that word (love) is. If we practiced that, my brother and these officers and these families, they (would) still be here today."
On what's he's learned: "I learned a lot. It's such a judgmental world out there. It taught me a life lesson with my own -- with my own kids, to teach them. I want to bring my kids up in a lifestyle that I've never gotten a chance to see."
To watch the entire video interview with Jeff Lacy, click here.
