ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Residents of a South St. Augustine neighborhood said they were surprised to learn a man was shot and killed Wednesday morning in a deputy-involved shooting.
According to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, a neighbor called 911 just before 6 a.m. to report that she had seen a man in her backyard in the area of 1st Street and Brainard Drive. She also told the dispatcher she thought it was a neighbor she had previously had issues with.
When deputies arrived at the home, they saw a 45-year-old man who was holding a handgun and gave him multiple commands to drop it, but he was shot after he refused to comply, officials said.
The man, who has not been identified, died at the scene.
Residents told News4JAX they’re used to living in a quiet neighborhood and had never experienced anything like this.
“Very out of place. We’ve not had any problems like ever had any problems like that in 47 years,” Resident Winni Greshman said.
Karen Huber said she was also surprised to hear about what happened.
“It’s very family-oriented,” Huber said.
Director Howard “Skip” Cole, who runs the county’s Criminal Investigations Division, said the agency has had at least a dozen calls about the man’s behavior in the neighborhood over the last five months.
Residents told News4JAX a similar thing.
“There’s been signs. And you know, I’m glad no one’s gotten hurt, and I’m glad none of the sheriffs got hurt, but you know, there has been many calls on him, and I felt like it was a little negligent,” a resident, who asked to be anonymous, said.
Detectives said they were speaking with multiple witnesses, and the names of the man and the two deputies involved will be released later.