12 hours ago
Orange deputies fatally shoot man with knife who allegedly held girlfriend against her will, Sheriff's Office says
A knife-wielding man was fatally shot Monday afternoon by Orange County deputies after his girlfriend told law enforcement he held her against her will overnight, Orange County Undersheriff Mark Canty said.
Deputies responded to the Isles at East Millenia apartments on Lake Fountain Drive after receiving a call around 12:45 p.m. from a woman who said her 57-year-old boyfriend was on drugs and had kept her inside the apartment at knifepoint since the previous night, Canty said at a news conference later on Monday.
The woman spoke to deputies at the scene and said the man had threatened her with a knife. The deputies intended to arrest him for aggravated assault, but he barricaded himself inside the apartment. Deputies requested a negotiator and assistance from a SWAT team around 2:45 p.m., according to Canty.
While negotiations with the man continued, the SWAT team positioned itself around the apartment. The man eventually exited the room he was in and moved toward deputies with a knife, causing two deputies to shoot him, Canty said. He was transported to the hospital, where he later died. The entire incident lasted 3½ hours to 4 hours, according to Canty.
Per procedure, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting and will turn over its findings to the Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office for review. The Sheriff's Office will then conduct its own internal investigation, according to Canty.
The deputies who fired their weapons are now on temporary paid administrative leave pending FDLE's initial review. The Sheriff's Office will release body-cam footage of the shooting within 30 days.
