Knife-wielding Florida man fatally shot by deputies

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INDIALANTIC, FL (Florida Today) -- Law enforcement officers shot and killed a man Sunday night at an Indialantic home after he charged at them brandishing a knife, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said.

At 5:41 p.m., Indialantic police received a report of a domestic disturbance at a two-story house at 700 N. Shannon Ave. Inside were two victims, Ivey said. One had been choked and injured. The other had been chased by the knife-wielding suspect.

Sheriff's deputies who were patrolling the area responded to assist Indialantic police. And the fatal confrontation began shortly afterward. "The individual, at one point, grabbed a knife and started running at our officers. Our officers were inside a garage - and they fired and took the individual's life," Ivey said.

Detectives did not release the suspect's identity Sunday night, pending notification of family members. The sheriff's office is handling the death investigation, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the use of deadly force, Chief Deputy Doug Waller said. Two sheriff's deputies who were involved at the scene have been placed on paid administrative leave, Waller said.

Indialantic resident Dave Collins was driving down Shannon Avenue to the bank when he encountered multiple law-enforcement vehicles in front of the home. "Right as I was in front of the house, I hear, 'Pow, pow, pow!' Multiple shots fired - at least seven or eight shots fired," Collins recalled.

Indialantic Police Sgt. Michael Connor declined comment, saying the sheriff's office was handling the investigation.

Officers and deputies sealed off the Watson Drive-Wayne Avenue block with yellow crime-scene tape and diverted traffic for hours after the shooting.

Ivey did not identify the two victims, saying detectives would first contact their families.

The two-story home is located behind the Indialantic Center on State Road A1A, which is anchored by Ace Hardware and Dollar General. Palm Bay resident Chuck Grosvenor was at the plaza standing outside Baroos Beachside Bar, where he was attending a benefit concert, when he heard rapid-fire gunshots.

"I was surprised. It's Indialantic," Grosvenor said. "You don't expect to hear automatic gunfire in Indialantic."