VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — An 18-year-old man was shot and killed by law enforcement officers after he charged at an officer with a knife during a response to a double stabbing, ClickOrlando.com reported.
The incident unfolded on July 5 when deputies responded after two people, a 16-year-old boy and a 39-year-old man, were found stabbed multiple times, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
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Sheriff Mike Chitwood said during a July 7 news conference that responding agencies believed there might be additional victims inside the home, prompting a tactical entry.
Body-worn camera footage released by the sheriff’s office shows deputies repeatedly issuing commands with a megaphone for the suspect to exit the residence before entering the home.
After officers entered the home, the suspect emerged from a room and rushed at a Daytona Beach police sergeant while holding a dagger. Multiple officers opened fire, killing him.
“The suspect in this case … screams and comes right at a Daytona Beach sergeant and gets probably within a millimeter of him, or he may have even struck him, with the dagger,” Chitwood said. “This isn’t a butter knife. It’s a dagger.”
Chitwood said all three individuals likely lived together in the residence. He noted that the suspect had a prior arrest in
June for prowling and exhibited signs of a mental health crisis at the time.
“When they asked different mental health questions, he said that he wanted to die,” Chitwood said. “Clearly, the sad part is there’s a mental health issue here.”
The Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach and Holly Hill police departments assisted at the scene. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is handling the investigation, as is standard protocol in officer-involved shootings.
