Man shot, killed by Orange County deputy as SWAT team served drug search warrant: Sheriff

A deadly deputy-involved shooting took place Friday afternoon in Orange County. 

What we know:

A deadly shooting took place Friday afternoon in Orange County that involved an Orange County sheriff's deputy, according to Sheriff John Mina.

During an afternoon news briefing, Sheriff John Mina said that around 2:19 p.m. the Orange County SWAT team was serving a drug search warrant at 5614 Lejuene Drive, when they encountered an armed man.

A deputy fired at the man and the team then attempted to render aid before he was transported to the hospital. Sheriff Mina said the man later died from his injuries related to the shooting. 



The sheriff said this man was known to authorities and deputies had previously responded to the same address in reference to a domestic violence call, at which time they discovered "trafficking amounts" of cocaine and fentanyl inside the home as well as a stolen weapon.

The sheriff said there was no one else in the house at the time of the shooting, and he noted that clear "multiple verbal warnings" were given by SWAT deputies to the man before they entered the house, as they entered the house and while they were inside the house.

What we don't know:

Authorities have not disclosed the identity of the deputy or the victim involved in the shooting.

What they're saying:

Orange County Sheriff John Mina detailed the events which led to the deadly shooting during an afternoon news conference.

"As our SWAT team entered the room, they  encountered a man who was reaching behind a door where a rifle was located.  One deputy fired his service weapon, striking the man. Our deputies rendered first aid and he was transported to the hospital where, unfortunately, he later passed," Sheriff Mina said.

"We were at this house a couple of weeks ago in reference to a domestic violence call. While we were there, deputies found trafficking amounts of fentanyl and cocaine and two loaded guns, one of which was stolen. So this search warrant was related to an ongoing narcotics investigation."

"This case just illustrates how dangerous this is for our deputies — going into a home where we know loaded guns have already been recovered, where we know trafficking amounts of fentanyl and cocaine have already been recovered. So that's why we used our SWAT team — highly trained individuals who are trained specifically to do this."

What's next:

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will now investigate this shooting, which is standard protocol for all shootings involving deputies and other state, county and municipal law enforcement officers. Once that review is complete, Sheriff Mina said the sheriff's office will conduct its own internal investigation.

The deputy involved in the shooting has been placed on paid leave pending an initial review. The deputy's body-worn camera video will be released to the public within the next month, Mina said.

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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Orange County Sheriff's Office (OCSO).

Orange CountyCrime and Public Safety