SARASOTA COUNTY, FL. – The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is currently conducting an investigation into an officer-involved shooting that occurred Friday morning in Sarasota.
On Thursday, March 31, law enforcement deputies assigned to our Civil Section served a 24-hour eviction notice at an apartment in the 700 block of South Palm Avenue in the city of Sarasota.
By way of background, the home was being occupied by a 58-year-old man who formerly lived with the apartment owner, before his passing in September 2021. Both apartment management and an attorney representing the family of the former owner attempted to have the man relocate before involving law enforcement.
On Friday around 9:00 a.m., three Civil deputies revisited the apartment to serve the final eviction notice. When they arrived, deputies announced themselves several times, eventually utilizing a key provided by the family’s attorney, to enter the unit. Deputies attempted to verbally convince the man to leave voluntarily however, the man did not comply and brandished a knife.
Deputies made continued verbal commands for the suspect to disarm, however the suspect raised the knife and ignored deputies’ commands.
One of the deputies deployed his agency-issued Taser in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.
When the Taser failed to subdue the suspect, he lunged forward, and a second deputy fired her duty weapon once. Deputies immediately rendered first aid and CPR, however the subject was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The identity of the suspect will be withheld until next of kin has been notified. The involved deputy has been placed on routine paid administrative leave pending the results of the investigation.
The sheriff’s office conducts its own officer-involved shooting investigations which are led by a group of senior detectives.
The results of these investigations are then reviewed by the State Attorney’s Office. Additional details will be released as they become available.
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