BAKER COUNTY, Fla. – A man suffered a self-inflicted gunshot after he fired at deputies with a rifle from a distance and they returned fire Thursday in the Baxter area, the Baker County Sheriff’s Office said.
The incident happened around 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the area of the John M. Bethea State Forest.
In a Facebook post on Friday, the Sheriff’s Office said deputies were trying to locate the man, identified as 23-year-old Hunter Combs, for several days regarding outstanding felony arrest warrants with charges related to weapons offenses.
During the search, deputies learned from a source who told them about Combs’ potential location and that Combs had threatened self-harm and was in possession of a rifle.
Deputies said they traveled to Forest Road 6 and found Combs walking along the railroad tracks. According to the Sheriff’s Office, when deputies got out of their vehicles, they were met with gunfire by Combs, who was about 300 yards away. Deputies returned fire and then approached Combs, who was found dead, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The preliminary investigation conducted by the medical examiner’s office indicates that the man died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Sheriff’s Office said.
According to Undersheriff Randy Crews, with the Sheriff’s Office, three deputies were placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure. No deputies were injured.
The Sheriff’s Office sent out a statement Friday afternoon saying Combs grew up in Baker County and was loved by many who are mourning his loss, but the agency is grateful its deputies who came under fire were not hurt.
News4JAX crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson said deputies have extensive training for how to approach this situation.
“They expect the worst, they prepare for the worst and that’s how they respond,” Jefferson said. “They also want to try to take that person into custody as safe as possible.”
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is leading the investigation.
According to Florida Department of Corrections records, Combs was on probation from a 2020 arrest on charges of armed delivery of drugs and gun theft.
Baker County court records show he has prior arrests on charges of aggravated assault and dealing in stolen property.
Editor’s note: News4JAX originally included in this article a photo of Combs from the Florida Department of Corrections website but has since removed it after learning the circumstances surrounding his death.