Daytona Beach police chief angry over Rep. Waltz's update on injured officer

Rep. Waltz: Officer Raynor speaking and opening his eyes

Injured Daytona Beach Officer Jason Raynor is reportedly awake and speaking. That's according to Representative Mike Waltz.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young is speaking out after Representative Mike Waltz tweeted an update about his wounded officer, calling it ‘politics at its best.’

Rep. Waltz had tweeted that injured Daytona Beach Officer Jason Raynor is reportedly awake and speaking. He said he spoke with Chief Young who told him Raynor, 26, is talking and opening his eyes.

"Spoke to the Daytona Beach Police Chief and he says Officer Raynor is speaking and opening his eyes," Waltz tweeted. "His mother felt comfortable leaving the hospital for the first time in weeks. Nothing short of a miracle!"

However, on Friday, Chief Young tweeted this:

"If I or @DaytonaBchPD intended to give an update on Officer Raynor’s status we would have done so ourselves! @michaelgwaltz had NO RIGHT to tweet this! I apologize to the Raynor family for this egregious violation of their trust. This is nothing more than politics at its best."

Rep. Waltz responded on Twitter with an apology.

"My sincerest apologies to the Raynor family and @DaytonaBchPD. I was excited at the prospect of good news for Officer Raynor and did not intend to share info that wasn’t meant to be released. Continuing to pray for a speedy recovery."

Meanwhile, the man accused of shooting Officer Raynor last month has been formally indicted in the alleged crime.

Othal Torayne Resheen Wallace, 29, is charged with attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer with a firearm.

Raynor was shot in the head after investigators said he confronted Wallace while responding to a call of suspicious activity on the evening of June 23. Wallace fled the area and was on the run for three days.

He was apprehended in Georgia on June 26. Authorities said he was hiding out in a treehouse.

Watch FOX 35 News for the latest on this story and more out of Central Florida.

Daytona Beach News