ORLANDO, Fla. – A man reaching for a gun was shot and killed Monday night by Orlando police officers who were responding to a domestic disturbance, according to the department.
Officers responded around 9:10 p.m. to a domestic disturbance call at a home on Shining Willow Terrace. Chief Eric Smith said the department had received multiple calls regarding the disturbance at the home.
According to the Orlando Police Department, officers met a 26-year-old Timothy Woods on the porch and saw he had a gun in his pocket. When officers told the man not to touch the gun, he jumped a nearby fence and ran away, police said.
Officers cut him off and told him to get on the ground and not reach for the gun but when he didn’t comply, officers used a Taser, a release said. The man’s gun fell from his pocket and when he pulled the Taser prongs out, he tried to reach for the gun near him, police said, prompting officers to shoot him.
The man, whose name has not been released, was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Officers have to make split-second decisions. Officers put their life on the line every night, going ahead and protect our city. They do a great job of it. Like in this instance, when somebody has a gun on them, everything is heightened. For them, it’s going a mile a minute. They have to make split-second decisions,” Smith said.
Smith said the department received three calls about the incident, including one that may have been made from inside the home. He said a man and woman had been arguing in the home.
“We got multiple calls, which is good. We’re glad people call to help their neighbors, to help their fellow people, fellow residents. You know, we want you to call it. Definitely call it and give it a chance for us to get there, because who knows what could happen if we didn’t respond to this call,” Smith said.
According to the police chief, two officers opened fire when the man reached for the gun.
The officers were not injured and will be placed on paid administrative leave per protocol. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will be investigating.
No other information has been released.
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