The mother of a teenager shot and critically injured by a St. Petersburg police officer in December is speaking out.

This comes on the same day a city shooting review board found the officer who shot her son, Brian Fernandez, 31, was fired from the department for using excessive force and breaking city and department rules.

Quade Everett, 18, was left with severe brain injuries and now lives in a rehabilitation center after the shooting. His mother, Laquanda Everett, talks about the incident.



"I'm just happy for the city of St. Pete that they didn't try to cover it up," said Everett. "That was just the worst day of my life. It was like a storm hitting your home and destroying it."

The documents show Officer Fernandez broke city and department rules and essentially lied during the internal affairs investigation.

It was early in the morning on December 23, 2013, that Officer Fernandez, who had only been on the force for seven months responded to a call for a stolen vehicle in south St. Pete.

When he arrived, he claimed the teen got into a stolen pick-up and drove straight towards him. He said he was forced to shoot because he feared for his life, but the internal affairs investigation showed otherwise.

With the bullet holes on the passenger side of the truck and the back window shot out, investigators determined Fernandez was actually behind the truck.

Even so, Everett’s mother says she’s not only praying for her son, she also prays for the officer who nearly killed him.

Everett said she's not necessarily angry with Fernandez, just disappointed.



Her son now lives in a brain rehab center and is paralyzed on one side with a tracheotomy and has a stomach tube.

"My faith is big and I know that God is bigger than this situation, and I keep my faith and know that God will deliver him and bring him through," Everett said.

At this point, she said she may be considering a lawsuit.

As for Fernandez, he cannot appeal his termination because he had been on the force for such a short time.

Before this incident, police said Everett has an extensive criminal history, including aggravated assault on a police officer, burglary, and auto theft.