Sheriff: Man pointed rifle at deputy before he was shot in the arm

A Volusia deputy shot and injured an apparently suicidal man in DeBary on Thursday night after he pointed a rifle at deputies, according to the Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood.

The suspect, who was shot in the arm, is expected to survive, the agency said.

No deputies were injured in the shooting, which occurred at a residence on the 100 block of Tanglewood Road around 10 p.m., according to VCSO. The home is northeast of Konomac Lake, about a mile west of U.S. 17-92.

The man’s wife called 911 to say the man wanted to die by suicide and had at least 15 guns in the home. Chitwood told reporters Friday afternoon the man had multiple firearms strategically placed in a boat shed and more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition

Deputies told the man to “put that rifle down now” as they approached the shed. The Sheriff ’s Office initially said the man fired at deputies first, but Chitwood said Friday it’s not clear if the man fired his weapon.

Chitwood said the man pointed the rifle at deputies, prompting one to shoot him.

“Once he comes at you with a rifle you have to do what you have to do to protect your life, Chitwood said. “The ante has been upped now.”

Deputies then started treating the man’s injuries as he apologized about the situation, body-worn camera footage released Friday showed.

In a tweet posted shortly after the shooting was reported Thursday, Chitwood said he was proud of the way deputies handled the situation.

“Tonight was a perfect example of an ambush in waiting,” he wrote. “Thanks to the training & experience of these deputies, they kept themselves & each other alive, then gave aid to a man who could have killed them.”

Just over a week earlier, Volusia deputies engaged in a shootout with two teens who authorities said ran away from a group home, broke into a Deltona house and armed themselves with guns they found inside.

Eight deputies fired over 60 rounds during the encounter, critically injuring one of the teens before administering life-saving first aid to her, Chitwood said during a press conference the following day.

Both teens, a 12-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl, were taken into custody afterward. The deputies involved were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s investigation.