[HIGHTECHDUDE]

It certainly seems that Florida has it's hands full with crazy sovereign citizens...

PUNTA GORDA, (October 23, 2024) — Charlotte County has released the body and dashcam video of the deputy-involved shooting that occurred on Sandy Pine Drive, leaving a man dead.

The shooting occurred on Wednesday afternoon and left a man, deputies identified as Elroy Clarke (alias Ben Gay), dead.

In the 20-minute-plus video edited by the Charlotte and posted on their Facebook page, several deputies are seen speaking to Clarke at his home on Sandy Pine Drive and using methods of de-escalation.

In the video, deputies used Tasers, pepper spray and batons, and fired bean bag rounds before Clarke charged at officers, which was when deputies fired two shots that killed Clarke.

It was during the bean bag rounds that Clarke is seen charging a deputy and getting his hands on a service weapon that had been pointed at him.

Fourteen shots went off before Clarke collapsed in his driveway.

According to the sheriff, the deputy who was attacked fired 13 rounds and one shot belonged to another deputy.

The deputy who was charged by Clarke began hyperventilating and had to be calmed by other deputies on the scene.

As he catches his breath, the breathless deputy can be heard saying, “I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t want to do it.”

“You had to,” said another deputy.

Deputies originally responded to a disturbance between Clarke, the property owner and Troy Johnson, a guest on the property that Clarke wanted to leave.

During the investigation, a deputy learned that a warrant had been issued for Clarke’s arrest and that he was a sovereign citizen.

When Clarke was confronted about the warrant, he denied Elroy Clarke was his name and gave a different name.

An argument ensued and Clarke refused to comply with the deputies’ orders to get on the ground, and the confrontation escalated from there.

The deputies involved have been placed on administrative leave and are also receiving mental health services.

#OIS

[mr_feelgood]

Cops need to be held accountable for their stupid choices

[kellyhound]

refused to comply with the deputies’ orders

Do they ever?

[Mr.NoCredit]

The level of stress that Police go through on a daily basis is beyond. I’m grateful for those who are willing to serve. I’m glad it’s not a job I’ve ever done. Wouldn’t want to. What a shitty day at work to go through something like that and take it home with you.

[RidetheLightning]

Originally Posted by mr_feelgood ↗

Cops need to be held accountable for their stupid choices

What is stupid about a cop defending himself? Charge a cop holding his service weapon, face the results. Can't get anymore practical then that.

[joos]

Guy literally went Hulk mode lol. Didn't work.

[pokerplay]

this is how the work is done. due to the video, there are no more excuses for entitled suspects to not comply, attack others, live off handouts and not expect consequences. simple, don't do that.

[vulturedoors]

That poor cop. I hope he gets some good counseling and learns to live with what he was forced to do. He seems like a good man.

[Grayson2905]

Poor guy. Hope that he loves knowing that he was just doing his job and the asshole could have found another way to kill himself

[wildaxboxer]

He will go on to suffer from PTSD, and his days of policing the streets could be over, and he will be handed a desk job, he might have been unarmed, but he was old enough to know, you charge at a cop who has his gun pointed at you, its only going to end one way..