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ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - An Orange County deputy told a shoplifting suspect not to reach for his weapon three times before shooting him, the sheriff's office says.
What we know:
The Orange County Sheriff's office responded to a Walmart on East Colonial Drive regarding reports of a man attempting to steal from the store.
The man had declared "Martial Law" and appeared to be armed with a knife, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said during a press conference. He also made comments about a gun before leaving the store, the sheriff said.
Though the man didn't attempt to hurt anyone in Walmart, according to the loss prevention officer, the man had the knife while he was inside the store, Mina said.
When deputies arrived, the man – later identified as Jason Anthony Beal, 48 – was walking out of the store wearing a ski mask and pushing a shopping cart full of merchandise, Mina said.
"The deputy gave the man numerous commands to stop. The man did not comply with those commands," the sheriff said. The deputy fired his taser, which didn't have any effect and, "shortly after that, the deputy could be heard saying, ‘Don’t reach, don't reach,' three times and then our deputy fires his service weapons at the suspect, striking him several times."
When a deputy is telling you not to reach for your weapon, "you better comply with those commands," Mina said.
Deputies rendered first aid to Beal, and then he was transferred to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Beal is facing multiple charges, including, armed robbery with a deadly weapon and resisting an officer with violence.
After the arrest, two knives were found.
Two knives were found at the scene after an Orange County deputy shot a suspect. (Source: Orange County Sheriff's office)
The suspect's prior criminal history
Mina called Beal's criminal history "extensive." According to Mina, Beal has a criminal history throughout multiple counties in Florida.
Beal was most recently arrested by the OCSO in a stabbing incident, but was released from the jail after 33 days on his own recognizance. He was released on Feb. 3.
"It's disappointing because this is a person that is going to hurt someone, eventually," Mina said. "He stabbed someone last year and was released on his own recognizance. It's very frustrating because in other counties, their jails are full – they're so full they have people sleeping on the floor – according to the sheriffs that I've talked to about it. I don't know why we're releasing people with violent criminal histories out onto our streets."
Beal is also a registered sex offender.
State Attorney Monique Worrell released a lengthy statement on Monday afternoon, following comments made by Orange County Sheriff John Mina. We've included her full statement below.
"Let me be clear about how this works.
Under Florida law, the State has 33 days from the date of arrest to file formal charges. If charges are not filed within that timeframe, the court is required to release the individual. That is not a policy decision. That is state law.
Whether someone stays in custody is not based solely on their prior criminal history. In fact, if Mr. Beal had $5,000 or $500 and access to a bondsman, he could have been released after first appearance. Whether we file charges within the 33-day statutory window is based on the strength of the admissible evidence in front of us. Sometimes, within that timeframe, we have what we need to move forward. Sometimes, we do not.
In this case, at the expiration of the statutory deadline, we did not have the evidence required to file charges and meet our burden in court. Our prosecutors continue to work with law enforcement to determine next steps consistent with the law.
This is not the first time evidentiary challenges have affected this individual’s cases. He previously had matters before this office in 2023 and again in 2024 during the appointed administration. In those cases, prosecutors encountered similar issues, including non-cooperative victims and limitations in proving the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. That context matters. These decisions are not about administration or partisan politics — they are about whether the admissible evidence meets the legal burden required to proceed in court.
The State Attorney’s Office is not responsible for ensuring jail floors are riddled with human beings. Our responsibility is to follow the law and make filing decisions based on evidence — not jail capacity. Public safety matters. So does due process. Our job is to uphold both."
What's next:
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will conduct an investigation and turn its findings over to the State Attorney's office. The sheriff's office will also conduct an internal investigation.
As of Feb. 23, Beal remains at the hospital, Mina said.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from the Orange County Sheriff's office.