Volusia County SWAT had a blast in Port Orange

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office blew a hole in the end wall of the former Giuseppe's Steele City Pizza building on Wednesday, March 20, as part of a robbery response simulation.

By Tanya Russo
| 5:00 p.m. March 22, 2019

A blast opened a hole in the south end of Giuseppe's Steele City Pizza building. Photo by Tanya Russo

Ormond Beach Observer
News

Boom.

The sound and vibration shook residents traveling Nova Road in Port Orange around 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20, when the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office conducted a SWAT team simulation practice at the former Giuseppe’s Steele City Pizza building. Deputies blocked off Nova Road, north of Herbert Street, to the intersection of both streets.

SWAT blew a hole in the south end wall of the building. A VCSO spokesperson said that the team simulated responding to a bank robbery where SWAT needed to make a different entrance into the building to apprehend suspects.

Lieutenant Israel and SWAT with Volusia County Sheriff's Department. Photo by Tanya Russo

After the blast, SWAT dragged a dressed-up dummy over to an open truck.

Earlier in the day, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood tweeted, “You might hear some loud noises. Please don’t be alarmed.”

Following the blast, traffic was tied up on Nova Road, south from Herbert Street, past Dunlawton Avenue to south of Village Trail. Traffic came to a standstill when emergency response vehicles attended to a wreck on the north side of Nova Road; it was not related to the SWAT practice.