PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — The Pasco County Sheriff's Office said one man was injured during a deputy-involved shooting Friday morning in Pasco County.
A witness told ABC Action News' Robert Boyd that around 8:15 a.m., a man appeared to be trying to break into a gun store near the intersection of Little Road and Massachusetts Avenue in Pasco County.
The witness said the man started using a construction sign at one point to try to gain access to AJ Sporting Goods.
“He was hitting the door one more time with the sign, so I’m like, 'what are you doing,' he’s like, 'I’m breaking into the gun store,' I'm like, 'excuse me,' and he’s like, 'yea, I'm breaking into the gun store,' and my brother came out and made me go inside and we called 911," said witness Dima Malki, who was working at the gas station next door.
Police were called at that point, and Malki said the man stood near the store for a few minutes and then walked off down Little Road to where the shooting happened.
The Pasco County Sheriff's Office said deputies and detectives pleaded with the man to put down the knife he was carrying and told the man they would get him help. The sheriff's office said the man refused, and the deputies eventually had to use lethal and less-lethal means on the man.
“The subject was in extremely close proximity to the deputies, he was charging at them with the knife, it wasn’t like he was walking, he started with a dead out sprint trying to get there really quickly toward them," said Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco.
Nocco said the man was hit by tasers and gunfire, fell to the ground, and hit his head. Sheriff Nocco said as the man was handcuffed and rolled over, he told detectives, "Thank you."
Nocco said deputies began rendering first aid immediately after the shooting until first responders took over.
“I want to give our deputies a lot of credit, they were doing everything in their power to deescalate the situation, they kept pleading with the individual, 'we will get you help,' and he kept making statements like, 'you don’t understand, you don’t know,"' said Sheriff Nocco.
Sheriff Nocco said he would be releasing bodycam video of the incident so the public could watch his deputies' actions.
According to the Sheirff's Office, the name of the suspect is Scott Youmans and he is 38-years-old.
“He has an extensive, extensive, extensive mental health history to harm himself and has made statements to harm others," said Nocco.
The Sheriff's Office said the last they heard regarding Youman's condition was that he was in surgery.
Nocco said the entire community should be thankful that no innocent people were hurt.
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