Civil Liberties

"There Will Be a Confrontation": Person Makes Threat, Police Called–Shots Fired, Person Found Dead

64-year-old shot and killed by police

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actual police shooting not a crime scene
St. John's Sheriff's Office

The passive voice strikes again, courtesy of WKOV in Florida:

Police say they were called out to the home [in St. John's county] around 12:30 because a person inside made threats. Authorities say when they got to the house shots were fired.

Police say 64-year-old Rodney Wayne Stevens was found dead inside the home. Investigators say he had outstanding warrants for grand theft auto, felony battery and tampering with a witness.

The St. Augustine Record has more details. Police say Stevens' family called them after he responded to their attempts to convince him to turn himself in by threatening to shoot himself* others. "'He is now making threats and he is armed and if law enforcement shows up there will be a confrontation,'" a county sheriff's spokesperson said about the 911 call, saying there would be an investigation into the "very upsetting set of circumstances." At least one deputy shot Stevens, but the department isn't sure yet how many deputies might have fired their guns or how many shots they fired. None of them were injured so they all got home safely.

*I don't know whether the Record article was edited, as a 911 tape appears to have been made available to some media organizations, or whether I misread it originally. If it's the latter, apologies.