SHADY HILLS – Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said a deputy-involved shooting on Thanksgiving was the result of a person of interest coming out of his home with a shotgun.
Nocco said the sheriff’s office had received multiple reports of the man swinging a sword Nov. 28 on Boland Avenue.
“There was an individual who was out in the middle of the street with a sword, swinging it around, making weird gestures,” Nocco told media later that night. “There’s kids out there. So as you can imagine, the parents were extremely upset, very nervous.”
Nocco said neighbors told the sheriff’s office that the man went back inside the house and was blaring music and throwing things.
Deputies went to the home to perform a welfare check. Nocco said deputies identified themselves and tried to get him to come out of the house. They went to the back of the property and saw the sword on the ground.
“They’re doing everything they can to get this individual to come out of the house so they can talk to them because they know there’s something not right with this individual tonight,” Nocco said. “Instead of just coming out of the house peacefully, he comes out of the house holding a shotgun.”
Deputies ordered him to lower the gun before firing. The man was taken to the hospital, where he was treated with non-life threatening injuries.
Nocco said the man had a blood alcohol content of 0.307 – nearly four times the legal limit.
For any deputy-involved shooting, the deputy is placed on paid administrative leave and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the incident.
Noccol said everyone, including deputies, just wanted to have a peaceful day on Thanksgiving, only for someone to cause fear in the neighborhood.
“At the end of the day, he just didn’t listen to commands,” Nocco said. “Because of his actions, it dictated our actions “
