WINTER HAVEN, FL —A Winter Haven man was shot and killed by police Wednesday morning, in response to officers. Deputies fired after arriving at his mother’s home, the place he had stabbed his mom within the chest.
The 36-year-old man, Phillip Dibenedetto, was in his residence on the household’s ranch situated off of Overlook Drive when officers from the Polk County Sheriff’s Workplace arrived. He repeatedly informed officers he was able to die, and pointed at his chest as he informed them to shoot him, mentioned a information launch. As authorities spoke to him via a door, Dibenedetto warned them that he had bought a gun and had been planning for this.
Police mentioned he grew to become extraordinarily agitated and uncooperative. Ultimately police tried to subdue him with a Taser, however he didn’t reply to that. Shortly afterwards, Dibenedetto lunged over a chair, grabbed his gun and fired a shot, barely lacking an officer’s head. Two officers on the scene returned hearth and struck Dibenedetto a number of instances, killing him, police mentioned.
Detectives mentioned that Dibenedetto walked to his mother’s home early Wednesday morning and requested for espresso, then informed her to show round towards him. When she did, he stabbed her within the chest, although later he informed deputies he tried to stab her within the neck.
“That is an unlucky reminder of simply how harmful this job is, particularly when responding to home violence calls and calls associated to psychological sickness,” Sheriff Grady Judd mentioned. “Our deputies did all the pieces they may to deescalate the scenario and produce it to a peaceable finish, however they had been right into a place the place they needed to shield one another.”
The sufferer was taken to an area hospital, and her present situation is secure.
She informed officers that she hasn’t had any latest arguments together with her son, and doesn’t know why he stabbed her. He had been affected by psychological well being points for about 20 years, however didn’t take medicines, opting as an alternative to self-medicate with marijuana, she reportedly informed officers.
Commonplace protocol for all deputy-involved shootings consists of 4 unbiased investigations:
- The PCSO Murder Unit will conduct a demise investigation.
- Administrative Investigations will conduct an administrative inquiry.
- The State Lawyer’s Workplace will conduct a separate investigation.
- The 10th District Medical Examiner workplace will examine the trigger and method of demise.
Per company protocol, the members concerned will likely be on administrative go away with pay throughout the preliminary section of the investigation.