Armed woman shot and killed by deputies last night

Historic City News received a report last night after shots were fired at a domestic disturbance in the 2900 block of CR-214; only the gunfire came from deputies and the female victim died at the scene.

St Johns County Sheriff’s spokesman, Sgt. Chuck Mulligan, told reporters that, shortly before 10:30 p.m. last night, an 9-1-1 call came in reporting a despondent man, armed with a handgun, that intended to harm himself at that address.

Dispatched officers learned that a domestic altercation involving the couple had previously occurred at their home; and that weapons had been involved.

Units responded to the rural location that is just east of I-95, however they did not encounter the man. Instead, deputies observed the woman living inside the residence as she approached the front door. When she appeared on the porch, she was carrying a shotgun.

Deputies ordered her to drop her weapon, but she did not comply. According to the incident report, the woman raised the shotgun — “she pointed it directly at one of the deputies in the yard,” Mulligan told Historic City News.

In response, deputies fired — striking and killing her at the scene. Emergency lifesaving measures failed and the victim was pronounced dead by St Johns County Rescue personnel.

Mulligan said, “The deputies that were involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave — which is standard procedure in an officer involved shooting.”

Sheriff David Shoar has requested that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and District 23 Medical Examiner conduct the investigations into the shooting death to determine if there has been any wrongdoing.

An autopsy examination by Dr. Predag Bulic will reveal how many times the victim was shot and by whom. Toxicology results, which may take a week to develop, will indicate whether alcohol or drugs may have played a role in the victim’s actions.

Additional officers, with air support from the Sheriff’s helicopter, located the man who involved in the original call. He was inside his vehicle and reportedly stuck on a dirt road “a good distance from his home”, Mulligan said. He was approached by deputies, without incident, and surrendered his weapon.