Man Accused of Killing Dad, Dancing over Body Allegedly Was High on Mushrooms, Said He Felt 'Empowered'

Dustin Wakefield was shielding his 1-year-old son from gunfire when he was fatally shot, his family says

dustin Wakefield
Dustin Wakefield. Photo: gofundme

The suspect accused of fatally shooting a young father outside a Florida restaurant and then dancing while the victim lay dying allegedly told police he was "high on mushrooms which made him feel empowered," according to an arrest report obtained by PEOPLE.

Dustin Wakefield, 21, who was visiting from Colorado, was shot while dining outside at La Cerveceria restaurant in Miami Beach.

The suspect, Tamarius Davis, 22, of Norcross, Ga., was arrested by responding officers in an adjacent alley. Davis allegedly confessed to police, telling authorities he chose his target at random, the arrest report states.

Witnesses said Davis was "smiling and laughing the whole time that he was shooting," and that he began dancing over Wakefield's body after shooting him, reports WSVN.

According to Wakefield's family, the victim was protecting his 1-year-old son when he was shot.

"This guy came in with a gun waving it, saying 'it's time to die,'" Dustin's uncle Mike Wakefield, who was not present but heard the account afterward, told The Miami Herald. "He pointed the gun at his son and Dustin said, 'He's only a boy.'"

"Dustin stood up between the gunman and the baby and he shot him," Mike Wakefield said. "He shot him multiple times on the ground."

dustin Wakefield
Dustin Wakefield with family. gofundme

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Mike Wakefield said the victim, who worked in construction, was visiting Florida with his son and wife. The uncle has created a GoFundMe page to support the family.

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In a statement to KMGH, Wakefield's father and and stepmother, Matt and Angela Wakefield, wrote, "There are few words in the English language that can convey the depth of Dustin's love and generosity. For us, his family, he was the best son/brother/uncle/cousin/nephew/grandson you could ask for. His heart always put others first, even from a young age."

The statement continued: "We take great pride and comfort in the fact that we were blessed with the man who stepped in front of the bullet to save others. He has always been and he will continue to be our hero."

A Miami Beach park ranger said he witnessed the moments leading up to Tuesday's shooting, according to the police report. The ranger alleged that before approaching Dustin, the suspect was chasing another man. The other man was not harmed.

Davis was being held without bond Friday at the Miami-Dade County Jail on charges of second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder — the latter charge in connection with the incident involving the other man. An attorney for Davis was not listed in online jail records.

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