LEE COUNTY, Fla. -- The State Attorney's Office has ruled that the use of deadly force by a Lee County Sheriff's deputy on Interstate 75 in April was justified.
The incident happened April 22nd near mile marker 139 in Fort Myers.
Investigators say that around 3:40 a.m., Corporal Stacey Caivano responded to a 911 call that a car was shot at on I-75.
Caivano arrived to find Nicole Kramer exiting a car parked in the breakdown lane. Kramer then began walking toward Corporal Caivano holding a handgun pointed at her.
Caivano ordered Kramer to drop the gun, but she continued approaching the deputy. That's when Caivano drew her weapon and fired twice, striking Kramer once in the chest.
Kramer was transported to Lee Memorial Hospital and recovered from her wound.
A suicide note was found in Kramer's car, with language referring to "suicide by cop". She later admitted to investigators that she had been trying to commit suicide for two years and admitted calling 911 while holding a pellet gun that looked real in order to get an officer to respond.
Kramer was arrested and charged with Assault on an Officer.
On June 29th, the State Attorney's Office ruled that Corporal Caivano was "reasonably justified in using deadly force" to protect herself from the apparent danger Nicole Kramer posed.
