EDGEWATER, Fla. — Many eyes have been following the Othal Wallace case, especially in Volusia County, where members of the community continue to raise money for the Jason Raynor Foundation.

Wallace is accused of fatally shooting Raynor when the officer approached him while on duty in 2021.

As the trial has been happening, the Raynor family has asked for privacy. Friends of officer Raynor, however, say they want to see justice.

Before Raynor was sworn into the Daytona Beach Police Department he worked over-nights for the Port Orange Police Department. That’s how and where he met eventual friend Eddie Evans.

“He was the kind of guy that would give you the shirt off his back in a pouring rain storm,” said Evans, who lives in Edgewater. “He would get wet to keep you from getting wet.”

To this day, Evans works the graveyard shift — but working with law enforcement, not for them. He takes care of towing cars that either need to be impounded or hauled away.

“There's more action at night,” Evans said. “You see more stuff at night. During the day you get a lot of wrecks — at night you get the DUI’s and, you know, the funny people.”

It was during late night calls when the two connected that they would often talk about fast cars and racing. Evans said Raynor loved cars and that he was a car guy.

”Some people go to church, some people go to a counselor, some people go wherever and turn to drugs, some people turn to alcohol, I turn to this,” Evans said from behind the wheel of the car he races at the New Smyrna Speedway.

When Evans does race, he always wears his “Raynor Strong” shirt under his fire suit. Two months after Raynor was shot, Evans said his friend was in the winner circle with him.

Now Evans said he is hoping the state can score a win of their own for his fallen friend.

“I just want to see him (Wallace) get what he deserves for what he done,” he said.