Longwood police announced Friday that a man has died after being shot by officers in a confrontation at a Circle K earlier in the week.
Officers responded around 9 p.m. Tuesday to a Circle K on West State Road 434 after a store clerk said the man indicated he wanted to kill himself and was armed, according to a news release from the Longwood Police Department.
The first officer who arrived, according to the agency, tried to deescalate the situation by speaking to the man, who repeatedly claimed he was armed and refused to show his hands despite police commands to do so.
The release said that at one point the man “suddenly pulled his hand from the area of his waistband and raised it in a hostile manner, seemingly to simulate drawing a firearm on another police officer on scene.” In response, that officer discharged his firearm, striking the male multiple times.
Body camera footage released by LPD, taken from the perspective of the officer who opened fire, shows the shooting occurred about 20 seconds after that officer arrived on scene. That officer twice asked the man to show him his hands before the man quickly pulls his hand from his waistband and appears to raise his arm toward the officers, according to the footage. It appears the officer fires about 10 shots, including some in the moments immediately after the man has fallen to the ground.
Following the shooting, LPD spokesperson Lt. Derek Chenoweth confirmed to the Orlando Sentinel that a gun had not been found at the scene.
Longwood police said the man’s comments and actions seemed to indicate he wanted to provoke a confrontation with officers. While officers attempted to secure him in handcuffs, he continued to resist, the release said.
The man was given first aid at the scene by officers and then transported to a hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery. While he was initially reported to be stable, investigators later learned he suffered complications following surgery and died as a result of his injuries, the release said.
The date and time of the man’s death weren’t mentioned in the release. His name also wasn’t mentioned, which the release says is because his next of kin have not been contacted.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting. Chenoweth previously declined to release the officer’s name, citing an active investigation. He said the officer is a seven-year veteran at the department and was put on leave while FDLE conducts its inquiry.