LONGWOOD, Fla. – A Longwood police officer shot and wounded a man who indicated that he was suicidal and armed with a gun, authorities said.
The shooting happened around 9:10 p.m. Tuesday at the Circle K on State Road 434 at Rangeline Road.
Longwood police said officers were called to the store and the first officer to arrive tried to de-escalate the situation by talking to the man, who did not comply and was concealing his hands while claiming to be be armed.
According to police, the man “suddenly pulled his hands from the inside of his waistband in a hostile manner,” and the officer opened fire, striking him.
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Police did not specify where the shooting took place, but evidence markers were seen in the parking lot of the store.
The man was taken to a hospital to under go surgery and was in stable condition, police said.
News 6 asked the Longwood Police Department whether the man had a gun.
“We did not locate a weapon,” the agency said.
No officers were injured in the incident.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will conduct an independent investigation of the shooting.
No other details have been released.