SARASOTA, Fla. — As Sarasota County investigators continue looking into whether the deputy who shot and killed a man during an eviction followed procedure, the local branch of the NAACP is reacting to the incident.
Leaders of the group said they are also awaiting answers after the deadly shooting occurred during an eviction on April 1.
"When these types of incidents happen in our community, our concern is was it textbook? Was there some other measures that could've been used before ultimately firing a shot that took this gentleman's life, and that's where our focus is going to be? But, If it wasn't textbook then we have some major issues," said Trevor Harvey, president of the NAACP Sarasota branch.
The sheriff's office said they posted a notice for 65-year-old Jeremiah Evans to leave the condo in a building on Palm Avenue. They said he wasn't on the lease and refused to vacate the condo unit where he'd lived with the deceased owner for 11 years.
Deputies returned to effecting the eviction after posting a 24-hour writ of possession notice the day before.
"Were all the T's crossed? Were all the I's dotted? And then, were all of the de-escalation measures incorporated in this particular incident before it was decided that the only way to resolve the issue was by the officer pulling out the weapon and ultimately firing a fatal shot to the victim," Harvey said.
The sheriff's office said deputies were accompanied by a lawyer who had a key to the unit and had knocked on the door and given several commands to which Evans didn't respond.
They said when they went in they found him sitting at the dining table with his hands out of view. He then pulled out a knife and advanced at them, at which point one deputy deployed a taser, according to the sheriff's office spokesperson.
"The subject continued advancing toward our deputies while brandishing that knife. The deputy went to her last resort which was lethal force," said Kaitlyn Perez, PIO for the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.
Perez said prior to fatally shooting Evans, deputies made several attempts to de-escalate the situation.
"No day is a good day when we have to use any of our weapons or any of the tools that we're equipped with," she said.
Over the weekend several community members held a protest in front of the apartment building where the shooting happened. Civil rights advocates said the incident was very concerning and they impress upon authorities to be transparent, fair, and show accountability.
"Even if they are justifiable, how can we minimize these types of incidents from occurring within our communities," Harvey said.
The female deputy who fired her weapon is on administrative leave pending the investigation's outcome. The sheriff's office hopes to conclude the investigation early next week and forward it to the State Attorney's Office for review.