POLK COUNTY, FL. – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a deputy-involved shooting that occurred Tuesday evening in unincorporated Davenport, in which a 37-year old man armed with a knife charged at a deputy.
The deputy was not injured.
The deputy responded to a residence on County Road 547 North at about 10:30 PM on July 20, 2021.
The 911 caller reported that Gilberto Martinez-Nava and his ex-wife had been arguing and he began to choke her. Family members got the woman away from him but he became increasingly hostile and irrational, and armed himself with a knife.
As deputies were en route, dispatch relayed information about Martinez-Nava being very agitated and pacing in-and-out of the house. He was described as being suicidal, but also posed a danger to the family.
The deputy arrived at the house at 10:35 PM and when he knocked on a side door, it was opened by an elderly woman. About ten-to-fifteen feet behind the woman was Mr. Martinez-Nava.
When Martinez-Nava saw the deputy, he began charging at him while holding the knife at shoulder height, with the blade pointed up and toward the deputy.
The deputy yelled, “Drop the knife! Drop the knife!” but Martinez-Nava refused and continued to close the gap between the two men. Fearing for his own life and safety, the deputy was forced to shoot at Martinez-Nava, causing him to fall to the ground, still holding the knife.
The deputy radioed that shots had been fired and life-saving measures were performed until Polk County Fire Rescue arrived.
Martinez-Nava was transported to a local hospital, where he passed away about an hour later.
The investigation shows that the deputy fired four shots; there were three gunshot wounds to Martinez-Nava’s torso, and one to his arm.
Several suicide notes were found in Martinez-Nava’s clothes.
“The deputy didn’t choose to shoot Mr. Martinez-Nava…Mr. Martinez-Nava chose to make the deputy shoot him. Our deputy arrived to keep the family safe, which is ultimately what happened…just not the way we wanted,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
The deputy who shot Mr. Martinez-Nava is Deputy Sheriff Gregory Streeter. He is 27-years old and has been a patrol deputy at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office since June of 2019.
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