UPDATE:
Investigators say around 1:30 pm Thursday, Lee County Sheriffs Deputies were responding to a wellness check of a white male in his 60s at the Aloha Motel between Pondella Road and North Tamiami Trail.
“Our deputies responded, they accessed the scene and began trying to make contact with that white male. At which time that white male exited his hotel room, and displayed a rifle, pointing it at our deputies and running at them” said Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno.
The Sheriffs Office says deputies gave verbal commands to the victim to put the weapon down.
“And we’re placed in fear of their life and safety, subsequently they engaged them, and discharged their firearm. The subject was struck a few times, the subject went down” said Sheriff Marceno.
Sheriff Marceno says the deputies involved performed CPR until paramedics arrived. The suspect later died from his injuries. One witness who wished to remain anonymous says he saw the entire chaos.
“ I knew they were about to shoot him. I was on the phone with the landlord, calling her like they’re about to shoot this dude” said one witness.
The witness also says the victim was 60 years old living with Dementia, and the shooting was a shocking scene.
“He didn’t run out, he walked out took like 10 steps out of his door, and picked a BB gun up and pointed it at them, and they just unloaded on him, like unloaded on him,” said Sheriff Marceno.
At this time the Lee County Sheriffs Office has not confirmed the statements you heard from the witness, but the deputies involved have been placed on administrative leave until further notice, which is standard protocol.
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At 1:30 on Thursday afternoon, the Lee County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to the Aloha Motel in North Fort Myers.
According to Sheriff Carmine Marceno, deputies were responding to a well-being check of a a white man in his 60s.
Marceno says deputies responded and tried to make contact with the man.
That's when the man, according to LCSO, showed a rifle to deputies.
The sheriff's office says the man pointed the gun towards the deputies and ran towards them.
The sheriff says the deputies gave verbal commands and "were placed in fear for their life and safety".
LCSO says deputies engaged the man and discharged their firearms - striking him.
CPR was immediately administered until EMS arrived, Marceno says.
The man died on scene.
An anonymous witness told FOX 4 what they saw prior to the shooting.
"He didn't run out. He walked out like ten steps out of his door, and picked up a bb gun, and pointed it at him, and they just unloaded him. Like unloaded on him."
That witness also says they tried to warn motel management.
"I knew they were about to shoot him. I was on the phone with the landlord calling her like 'they’re about to shoot this dude'."
LCSO has not confirmed the statements provided by the witness.
Per standard protocol, the deputies involved have been placed on administrative leave.
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The Lee County Sheriffs Office is responding to a shooting in the Pondella Rd and N Tamiami Trail area.
The shooting involving an officer is located near the Aloha Motel in North Fort Myers.
Fox 4 has crews headed to the scene and will update you with more information as we receive it.
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