A man threatening residents inside a church in Florida was shot and killed by deputies after “less-lethal options were ineffective” and the man “charged at deputies,” according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO).
The deputy-involved shooting happened around 2:40 a.m. Tuesday at the Divine Mercy Prayer Center in Plant City, HCSO said in a press release. Body camera footage from the department shows the man walking behind a wrought-iron fence while growling at the responding deputies. The sheriff’s office said the suspect refused to obey commands to drop a sharp object he was carrying. That object was a railroad spike, according to FOX 13 Tampa Bay.
Bodycam footage shows the suspect kicking open the metal fence and lunging at the deputies. At that time, deputies attempted to maintain a safe distance, but the man continued towards them. A BolaWrap, a tool used to restrain a person without harming them, and a Taser were both deployed in failed attempts to stop the unidentified man.
“Our deputies showed extraordinary professionalism and exhausted every less lethal option to preserve life before this fatal outcome,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “Their actions today serve as a reflection of the extensive training our deputies undergo and is a testament to the tools they have available to serve and protect the community.”
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HCSO said deputies fired at the suspect, fearing for their lives. After they shot him, deputies immediately tried lifesaving efforts, but those efforts were unsuccessful.
The two deputies who fired upon the man, Deputy Robert Sanchez and Deputy Jacob St. John, are on administrative leave while the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigates the incident. Sanchez is a 17-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, and St. John has served for 10 months.
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Reverends who live at the worship center told the sheriff they had to cancel a 7:30 a.m. mass as a result of the shooting, FOX 13 reported.
