CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. — More than two weeks after a deputy shot and killed a 50-year-old man in the Deep Creek area, Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell provided more information about what happened and showed body camera video. However, he would not take questions from reporters and stated "today I can't stand before you and state in confidence that, like with the other cases, that we did everything we should have done."
On Sept. 23, Daniel Scott Burch was shot and killed by Deputy First Class Timothy Poole following an assault investigation.
Watch Fox 4's Alex Orenczuk report on the body camera footage:
Prummell said the incident began around 8:20 a.m. when the sheriff's office got a call reporting criminal mischief at the condo complex off of Saxony Circle. Deputy Poole met with the complainant, who said there was damage to the property and it was likely caused by Burch. However, Prummell said without concrete evidence at that moment, Poole documented the damage and left the scene.
Later in the day, at approximately 4:40 p.m., Prummell said they got a call from the same man, but this time at the Deep Creek Golf Club. The victim reported that Burch had physically assaulted him, Prummell said. During the press conference, the sheriff said video footage corroborated the victim's allegations, showing Burch punching him in the face.
When Deputy Poole returned to the scene, Prummell said the deputy found the victim, who told Poole he was afraid to return home alone. Poole escorted the victim back to his house next to the golf course.
Prummell said as they stepped outside to continue their conversation about filing a report, Burch came out from his condo and confronted the deputy and the victim.
The interaction was caught on Poole's body camera.
"Burch approached the deputy and the victim, made confrontational statements and gestured to the victim while saying 'come on,'” the edited video provided by the sheriff's office said.
In the video, you can see Burch say "let's do it or not do it," followed by Poole saying "are you threatening."
The video shows Poole telling Burch to go back to his apartment after Burch is caught on the video making a motion to the victim to move at him.
"Do it, do it," Burch told the Poole as he pulled out his Taser.
Poole is seen using his Taser on Burch. The sheriff's office said Burch swiped his hand twice at the deputy as they moved back toward his condo.
"Why are you [expletive] lasering me," Burch said.
"Cause you were already trying to hit me," Poole said to which Burhc replied "I didn't try to hit you."
Poole said Burch was "moving up on" him.
The sheriff's office said Poole called for backup and drew his firearm, ordering Burch to the ground, yelling expletives.
On the video, Burch is seen pulling out his phone and pointing it at Poole as the gun was drawn.
"I didn't do anything wrong," Burch said.
That's when the sheriff's office said Burch grabbed Poole's gun and three shots were fired, hitting Burch.
"Why did you do that," Burch said to Poole as he lied on the floor inside of the condo.
"You can't come at me like that," Poole replied.
The sheriff's office said Poole "rendered aid" and Burch was airlifted to the hospital where he died the next day.
After the video ended at the press conference, Sheriff Prummell made a brief statement.
"Today I can't stand before you and state in confidence that, like with the other cases that we did everything we should have done," he said. "This is still a very active invest investigation. There's still some unanswered questions."
He did not take questions from the reporters.
Prummell said Poole has been with the sheriff's office for 22 years. He spent eight years with the Department of Corrections and eight years in the U.S. Air Force.
The sheriff said Burch has a documented history of criminal behavior, including four arrests in Florida dating back to 1996, with the most recent arrest in 2020 where he plead to resisting arrest. The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office recorded 23 calls for service related to Burch, of which 11 were disturbance calls where he was identified as the aggressor, Prummell said.
