Man pointing gun at drivers shot dead by Volusia officers, deputies say

Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigate fatal shooting

ORANGE CITY, Fla. – A man accused of pointing a gun at drivers was shot and killed early Tuesday by law enforcement officers in Volusia County, authorities said.

Investigators said the incident began late Monday night when Westley Daum, 47, stopped his pickup truck in the middle of Volusia Avenue and began pointing a gun at passing drivers. 

Orange City police and Volusia County sheriff's deputies said they spotted the Daum driving through several residential streets before stopping his truck in the 600 block of Lantern Lane. Deputies said Daum got out of the truck with a gun in his hand and refused to comply with orders to drop the weapon.

Nearby homes were evacuated as police tried to convince him to surrender, officials said.

Investigators said Daum raised his gun at officers, prompting deputies and an Orange City police officer to fire their weapons.

Daum was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Volusia County Medical Examiner's Office will confirm the cause of death.

"That's very scary to know that it happened right around the corner from my house," a resident said.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has been called in to investigate, which is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings.

Stay with News 6 and ClickOrlando.com for updates on this developing story. 


About the Author:

Mark Lehman became a News 6 reporter in July 2014, but he's been a Central Florida journalist and part of the News 6 team for much longer. While most people are fast asleep in their bed, Mark starts his day overnight by searching for news on the streets of Central Florida.