COLUMBIA COUNTY, Fla. – It’s unclear whether a man hospitalized after an exchange of gunfire Monday with law enforcement shot himself or was struck by a bullet fired by a deputy, according to a news release from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a “dispute” on Northeast Thomas Camp Road, and on arrival they found a man walking in the road with a handgun. The news release states the man began pointing the handgun at his head and at deputies.
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At some point, the Sheriff’s Office said, the man fired shots at deputies and gunfire was returned. The man reportedly fled into a wooded area.
The Sheriff’s Office said a negotiation team was deployed in an attempt to bring the situation to a peaceful resolution. The negotiations weren’t successful, and the Sheriff’s Office said it decided to expedite apprehension of the man, taking into account that he may have been injured from the exchange of gunfire.
When the man was apprehended, deputies learned he’d been shot, but the Sheriff’s Office said it’s unknown whether the wound was self-inflicted or fired from the gun of a deputy. Investigators said the man was given first aid until he was transported by EMS.
The man’s condition was unclear, and he was not identified. No deputies were injured, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is conducting an independent investigation, and the Sheriff’s Office will conduct an internal review.