Orange deputies shoot man during confrontation at Chevron, Sheriff’s Office reports

Orange County deputies responding to reports of a man behaving erratically Tuesday shot him during a confrontation at a Chevron gas station, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded to Chevron at 901 W. Michigan St. shortly before noon after the man crashed his vehicle into another, according to a press release from the agency.

The press release said the man reportedly punched someone in the face and broke the window of another person’s truck before attempting to hijack it and crashing it into the station’s gas pumps.

The Sheriff’s Office said the man was holding a metal rod when deputies arrived and he ignored their instructions before running at them with it. A deputy attempted to shock him with a Taser but it appeared to have no effect.

Two deputies then shot the man, who was given first aid before being transported to a hospital, the agency said. No deputies were injured.

This is the second deputy-involved shooting at a gas station/convenience store within the past several day. Deputies killed a 19-year-old man with suspected gang ties Friday during an armed confrontation at a 7-Eleven on West Oak Ridge Road.

In a news conference after Tuesday’s shooting, Sheriff John Mina said he found the pattern of events “very troubling.”

“In my 30-plus years, it definitely seems like more than when I first started,” Mina said. “I don’t know after the pandemic [if it] has to do anything with it … I just think people are more prone to use violence these days than than ever before.”

The sheriff viewed body-camera footage of the incident and said while he wasn’t sure, it looked to him like he was in some form of crisis or on drugs.

The man was in surgery at the time of the news conference and the press release did not provide an update on his status. The agency has not released his identity.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating and will turn over findings to the State Attorney’s Office for review, according to the press release.

The Sheriff’s Office will conduct its own internal investigation after FDLE’s review is complete. The deputies that fired their weapons are on temporary paid administrative leave pending the FDLE review.