Orange County man holding his baby hostage in home killed in armed standoff with deputies, Mina says

An Orange County man who took his own baby hostage after shooting and stabbing the baby’s mother was killed in an armed standoff with deputies Friday night, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said during a news conference early Saturday morning.

Deputies responded to reports of a domestic disturbance on Colony Oaks Lane around 5 p.m. Friday and found a woman who had been shot and stabbed by the father of her child, Mina said.

Deputies attempted to confront the armed man, but he barricaded himself inside the home and used the child as a shield, according to Mina.

SWAT teams were called to the scene. Deputies negotiated with the man for several hours, but he remained inside the home. Mina said police became increasingly concerned for the child’s safety because the man was speaking in past tense and was praying.

When SWAT officers saw the man holding the gun and the baby, they breached the front door of the home and shot the man, Mina said.

He said the child is safe and the mother is in critical condition at a hospital.

Police have not identified the man and are investigating what led to the initial shooting and stabbing. Mina says it is unknown how many shots were fired or if the suspect fired any shots.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the incident and turn over the findings to the state attorney’s office for review. Once that process is complete, the Sheriff’s Office will conduct its own internal investigation.

The deputies who fired their weapons are on temporary and paid administrative leave pending the initial FDLE review. Body camera footage from the incident will be available within 30 days.