OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A shoplifting suspect who was shot and killed by an Osceola County sheriff’s deputy at a Poinciana Walmart after pulling a gun and running through the store was identified Friday as a 16-year-old, according to the sheriff’s office.
The shooting happened around 8 p.m. at 904 Cypress Parkway in Poinciana.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy, who was working off-duty at the Walmart for security, was notified by a loss-prevention officer of three people who “had concealed merchandise.”
[VIDEO: 16-year-old ID’d as shoplifting suspect killed by deputy in Poinciana Walmart]
The deputy, along with the loss-prevention officer, approached the three people before one of them took off running with a gun in his hand, according to Osceola County Sheriff Christopher Blackmon.
[WATCH BELOW: Osceola County sheriff discusses shooting at Poinciana Walmart]
“And with that said, our deputy fired downrange at the suspect and took him out,” Blackmon said. “(The suspect) had a gun in his hand, running through the store.”
Deputies identified the suspect who took off running with a gun as 16-year-old Jairus Eroge Jones, of Poinciana.
The two other subjects with Jones — a juvenile and a man in his 20s — fled from the store but were later “identified and accounted for” on Friday, according to the sheriff’s office. They have not been arrested.
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No other injuries were reported.
OCSO Public Information Officer Kim Montes told News 6 that an off-duty firefighter and another off-duty law enforcement officer were at the scene and provided the responding deputy with cover.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating this deputy-involved shooting, per procedure.
“Because FDLE is investigating this Officer Involved Shooting, the Osceola Sheriff’s Office will not be releasing any additional information regarding the shooting at this time,” sheriff’s officials said Friday.
Meanwhile, Walmart’s internal policy on shoplifting places a strong emphasis on safety for customers, employees and suspected offenders, according to company guidelines.
The policy states that only a store or club manager or members of the company’s asset protection team are authorized to surveil, investigate or detain someone suspected of shoplifting at a Walmart location.
Before any action can be taken, employees must observe the person pass the “last point of sale,” meaning the individual must be seen walking past store registers without paying for merchandise.
If that threshold is met, the policy allows an authorized associate to approach the person, explain why they are being stopped and listen to any explanation provided. The employee may then decide whether to detain the suspect.
However, the policy clearly states that employees must disengage if a suspect becomes violent. If a suspected shoplifter is believed to have a weapon, employees are instructed not to approach the individual and instead contact law enforcement.
The company also addresses firearms in its guidelines, saying it “asks customers not to openly carry firearms inside its stores unless they are authorized law enforcement officers.”
The company says the policy is intended to help create a safe environment inside its locations. The policy reiterates that employees should not confront anyone who appears violent or armed.