Authorities in Florida released a graphic bodycam video Thursday that appears to show a man rushing at deputies with a knife before being fatally shot, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office announced.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call Feb. 6 after being told a man inside an Orlando home was reportedly harming himself with a knife, according to an Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Although the 911 caller initially said the man had killed himself, audio of the call released Thursday reveals the caller saying, “He’s screaming in there. So, he didn’t kill himself. He didn’t kill himself,” FOX35 reported. (RELATED: Dramatic Video Shows Moment Off-Duty Cops Tackle Purported Knife-Wielding Attacker)
** WARNING: This video contains graphic scenes. Viewer discretion is advised. **
As part of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office’s commitment to transparency, it is our policy to release body-worn camera video within 30 days of a critical incident, including deputy-involved… pic.twitter.com/X5KcBI8V6W
— Orange County Sheriff’s Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) February 15, 2024
Bodycam footage shows two deputies who arrived at the scene walking, guns drawn, toward the house’s front lawn. The man, Decarlos Cornelius Long, 43, can then be seen rushing out of the home holding a long, bloodstained kitchen knife, FOX35 reported.
Both deputies fired at long at Long, who fell to the ground, dropping the knife, though it was still within his reach, according to the outlet.
“Deputies needed to secure the knife before Orange County Fire Rescue, which was already present, could safely enter the scene,” the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said. “Both deputies approached Mr. Long, and deputy #2 kicked the large kitchen knife a safe distance away.”
“He came out of that house to harm those deputies, and in my opinion, they really had no other choice,” Orange County Sheriff John Mina said. “He was extremely agitated, holding a very large knife, and it happened in the blink of an eye.”
After the shooting, authorities took Long to the hospital where he died from the gunshot wounds, FOX35 reported.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, according to the outlet.