Man swinging sword around children on Thanksgiving is shot by deputy, Florida cops say

A man engaged in risky sword play around children ended up shot when a deputy discovered he had switched from a sword to a gun, according to investigators in Florida.

The suspect was hospitalized and is expected to recovery, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. His identity has not been released.

The shooting happened just before 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 28, in the backyard of a home on Boland Avenue in Shady Hills, the sheriff’s office said. Shady Hills is about a 40-mile drive north from Tampa.

“Deputies responded to multiple reports of an individual swinging a sword in the vicinity of juveniles,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Deputies conducted a welfare check on the individual and he was located inside his residence. Verbal contact was made, and the individual came outside with a firearm.”

Body camera video released by the department on Facebook shows the deputy ordered the man to drop the weapon, and then four shots are heard.

The man is seen retreating back under a porch, and the video ends with an image of him standing with his hands raised.

“The subject was struck and deputies immediately rendered medical aid. The subject was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries,” the sheriff’s office said.

Deputies recovered a gun at the scene, and video shows the sword was found on a picnic table in the yard.

The deputy’s use of deadly force is under investigation, which is protocol, the sheriff’s office said. His identity was not released.

This story was originally published November 29, 2024 at 11:46 AM with the headline "Man swinging sword around children on Thanksgiving is shot by deputy, Florida cops say."