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Man dies after being shot by deputies for charging at them with knife

Posted at 9:41 PM, Jul 13, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-14 06:15:47-04

A man has died after being shot by Pasco County Sheriff's deputies for charging at them with a knife.

Deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at 38339 Higginson Road in Crystal Springs at 7:47 pm on Thursday.

The caller stated her son was making threats and said if she called the police he would "slice four or five of them before they could taser him," according to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office. The caller claimed her son had assaulted his girlfriend.

Upon arrival, the man fled to an RV camper behind the house. He barricaded himself inside the RV camper and through a window indicated he planned to cut himself and made cutting motions along his throat.

Out of concern for Steele's safety, deputies then planned to make entry into the camper. Steele then opened the door and told deputies they could come in as he retreated back from the camper door. According to a press conference, as deputies approached, Steele charged at the deputies with a knife as they prepared to enter, forcing one of our deputies to fire his gun on the suspect several times.

As he was being taken to an area hospital he died.

The incident is under investigation.