Man dies in custody of Columbia County deputy

Authorities say Taser gun used on man after he resisted

LAKE CITY, Fla. – The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating after a man who had been picked up by a Columbia County sheriff's deputy early Sunday evening died.

Authorities say Deputy Sheriff Bradley Carpenter was investigating a call about a disturbance at a 91-year-old woman's house on S.W. Jamie Glen about 6:15 p.m. when he found 35-year-old Timothy Griffis hiding in a shed.  The Sheriff's Office said Griffis refused to come out, and when he made an aggressive move, Carpenter deployed his Taser gun.

After Griffis was in custody, the deputy noticed Griffis had stopped breathing, called for an ambulance and performed CPR until paramedics arrived.

Griffis was taken to Shands Lake Shore Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.

Per Columbia County Sheriff's Office policy, Carpenter was placed on paid administrative leave while the death an internal affairs investigation is conducted.