PANAMA CITY, Fla. — The Bay County Sheriff’s Office released body camera footage from a deputy-involved shooting that resulted in the death of a man wielding multiple guns, the Panama City News Herald reported.
The incident began after multiple 911 calls reported a man walking along a road, visibly armed and acting erratically.
Callers described Smith pointing a gun at passing vehicles and carrying what appeared to be a rifle. Authorities later clarified he had a handgun and a magazine-fed shotgun.
A Bay County deputy responded and located the man as he walked down the road. According to the video and previous reports, the deputy calmly attempted to de-escalate the situation, calling out to the man by name and engaging in conversation.
The man became increasingly agitated and suspicious, questioning how the deputy knew his name. With both men on opposite sides of the patrol vehicle, the suspect yelled, “You reached for your gun,” before pointing at the deputy with both hands.
At one point, the suspect raised his hands and asked if the deputy’s body camera was on. The deputy then asked if he could remove the shotgun slung across the suspect’s shoulder.
“You worried ‘bout it? You got a gun, you got two of ‘em,” the suspect said, referring to the deputy’s sidearm and additional weapon.
Moments later, as the deputy cautiously moved toward the suspect, the situation rapidly escalated. The suspect lowered his hands and grabbed the handgun holstered on his left side, prompting the deputy to draw his own weapon and yell,
“Don’t you touch it!”
The suspect pulled his handgun and pointed it at the deputy. Gunfire erupted from both sides, with the suspect falling to the ground and continuing to fire from the grass beside the patrol vehicle.
“I need Code 3 now, I got shots fired,” the deputy said before firing additional rounds over the hood of the patrol car toward the suspect. After the final shots, the deputy cautiously moved in, disarmed the suspect by removing the shotgun and kicking the handgun away, then began rendering aid.
The suspect was later pronounced dead at the scene by EMS, according to the report.
