ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – On Tuesday afternoon, deputies shot a guy carrying a metal rod amid an event that included two traffic wrecks, an attempted carjacking, and a random battery at an Orlando gas station.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office got calls shortly after noon regarding a car accident and a man behaving “erratic” at a Chevron gas station, the sheriff said at an afternoon press briefing.
FOX 35 crews discovered at least two smashed vehicles at the gas station on West Michigan Street near Lee Street in Orlando: a truck that looked to have struck a gas pump and a car that had collided with the car wash. Sheriff Mina stated that the event involved several automobiles, and it was unclear how the car that drove into the car wash was connected to the inquiry.
Deputies discovered that the suspect was engaged in a traffic accident, allegedly assaulted another person in the face, and attempted to enter and carjack another vehicle, the sheriff said. The pickup that the suspect attempted to carjack crashed into a petrol pump.
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When deputies arrived, the suspect was carrying a metal rod in an “attacking posture” and refusing to follow their directions, according to Sheriff Mina. After a deputy tried unsuccessfully to use a Taser on the defendant, he allegedly spun around and charged deputies with the metal rod. That’s when two deputies opened fire, according to the sheriff.
Before being brought to a local hospital, deputies and firefighters on the scene administered first aid to the suspect. Sheriff Mina’s most recent statement stated that the suspect was in surgery and there was a “good indication” that he would recover.
“He gave us no choice, and no one wants to be hit in the head with a metal rod and die.” So, you know, our deputies did what they needed to do,” Sheriff Mina explained. “It’s very troubling, just seems like people are more prone in today’s society to attack law enforcement.”
The person who was assaulted in the face suffered minor injuries.
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The defendant, who deputies believe is in his 30s, will face at least three felony charges in connection with this incident, according to Sheriff Mina: attempted carjacking, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, and battery.
“Something was going on with this guy,” Sheriff Mina stated, adding that he thought the suspect was either in crisis or on drugs. “If you come at a deputy with a metal rod, they’re gonna protect themselves.”