An Orange County deputy shot an armed man who had punched him in the face multiple times behind a discount store in Pine Hills on Saturday, according to Sheriff John Mina.
Mina held a news conference later that morning to describe the situation, stating the deputy approached the man after seeing him around 8 a.m. acting suspiciously in a fenced-in area behind Save Discount along North Hiawassee Road.
When the deputy asked the man what he was doing in the fenced-in area, Mina said that the man looked like he was initially going to comply and climbed over the fence before reaching for a bag and starting to run.
“Our deputy tried to detain him and arrest him, but the man began to flee and then the man started punching our deputy in the face,” Mina said. “He punched him in the face probably 10 times. Our deputy ended up falling backward on his back and the man continued to punch our deputy in the head and face about an additional 10 times, so our deputy was in the struggle, fight, with this man for a minute and 16 seconds. This is an extremely long time to be in a fight, especially when you’re being punched in the face.”
During the fight, Mina said that two handguns came out of the bag that the man had been reaching for. The man allegedly ran toward the firearms and picked them up, at which point the deputy then shot the man several times, according to Mina.
“We were able to render first aid to the man. He was transported to the hospital where he remains in stable condition. He will be charged with aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer as well as additional charges related to the firearms,” Mina said.
The deputy was also taken to the hospital for treatment of possible head injuries, according to the sheriff, who added he had since gone to see the deputy and described him as being in good spirits.
“This case just illustrates how dangerous it is for our deputies. You know, one minute, our deputy’s helping this guy over the fence to find out what he’s doing and within seconds he’s being punched in the face and being, on his back, being punched in the face, in a fight for his life,” Mina said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the shooting before turning its findings over to the state attorney’s office. An interval review within the sheriff’s office is pending completion of that second step, Mina said.
The sheriff said that the body-worn camera footage would be released as soon as possible.
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Source: Clickorlando
