DELTONA, Florida — Florida deputies fatally shot an armed man Tuesday afternoon shortly after he fled a traffic stop, authorities said.
Four deputies opened fire on the 37-year-old man outside his Deltona home after he pointed a rifle at them, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said during a news conference. Deltona is located between Daytona Beach and Orlando.
The man had initially been pulled over in neighboring DeLand by a patrol officer for a traffic violation, Chitwood said. The man drove off after the officer discovered the man had a suspended license and ordered him out of his truck. The sheriff’s office was called to help with the pursuit.
Deputies deployed stop sticks to flatten at least one of the truck’s tires, Chitwood said. The man continued to drive, eventually arriving at his house with deputies right behind him. Deputies surrounded the truck with their own vehicles, and at least 20 shots were fired by deputies, Chitwood said. Investigators didn’t know whether the man fired his gun.
No deputies were injured, Chitwood said. The four officers involved in the shooting will be placed on administrative leave while state law enforcement officials investigate the case.
Officials haven’t released the names or races of the deputies or the man who was shot.
Daytona Beach police arrested the man on a weapons charge earlier this month, Chitwood said. The man also matches the description of someone connected to an Orange City shooting last month, officials said.
The man was medically discharged from the Navy in 2012, officials said.
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