PLANT CITY, Fla — Plant City police said they were forced to shoot a man who aggressively pointed a gun at them.
Officers responded to a 911 call of a suicidal man in a parking lot of the U.S. Post Office at 2501 Walden Woods Drive at 5:16 p.m. Sunday.
According to a release from the Plant City Police Department, when officers arrived, they saw a man armed with a firearm. Officers attempted to "de-escalate the situation," but the man pointed a gun at the officers. After the man pointed the gun at officers, he was shot and killed by police.
Authorities said no officers were injured, and everyone involved in the shooting has been placed on paid administrative leave pending a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation.
Captain Al Van Duyne with the Plant City Police Department said while they don't know what the man's state of mind was prior to the shooting, it never has to escalate to this.
"You don't want to have a permanent solution to a temporary problem. It's always best to call 211 and contact their physician, a mental health counselor if they need it. It's never a sign of weakness. It shows strength and the desire to get better," Van Duyne said.
