AUBURNDALE, Fla. — A 55-year-old man is dead after he threatened deputies and Auburndale police officers Tuesday night with a large knife, leading authorities to shoot him, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said in a release.
According to the sheriff's office, the shooting happened late Tuesday at the entrance to the Westside Ridge neighborhood on Westside Ridge Boulevard near Berkley Road in Auburndale.
The agency said both Auburndale officers and deputies responded to reports of an armed person, identified as 55-year-old Angelo Curcione. The sheriff's office said Curcione had a "lengthy and violent criminal history in New Jersey, including a stint in state prison for attempted murder."
In a news conference, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said two Auburndale police officers responded around 8:45 p.m. to reports of a domestic violence situation in the Westside Ridge neighborhood. But when they got there, Curcione wasn't at home. Instead, according to Judd, he was roaming the neighborhood.
Polk County K-9 Deputy Frankie Gann happened to be in the area, heard about the search for Curcione and went to help officers, Judd said. A few minutes later, Gann's K-9 partners led him to an area near the neighborhood's front entrance.
It was then, Judd said, Curcione "jumped from the bushes" armed with a knife. He reportedly approached the two officers and deputy telling them to "kill me, shoot me."
Because Curcione was armed with a large knife and threatened both officers and deputies, the sheriff's office said authorities were "forced" to shoot him, killing him.
"He got exactly what he asked for," Judd said.
In a Wednesday afternoon update, the Polk County Sheriff's Office identified the officers involved as:
- Auburndale Police Officer Jazmine Jaimes
- Auburndale K-9 Police Officer Presley Hart and their K-9 Ley
- Polk County Sheriff's K-9 Deputy Frankie Gann and his K-9s Rone and Marina
No officers or deputies were hurt in the shooting, which is being investigated by the 10th Judicial Circuit Officer Involved Deadly Incident Task Force, the agency said. Per both the sheriff's office and police department's protocols, both Auburndale officers and Polk County deputy have been placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation.
You can watch Sheriff Grady Judd's preliminary news conference on the shooting below or by clicking here.