Florida sheriff’s office releases bodycam footage showing man shot dead by deputies charging them with knife

A Florida sheriff’s office released bodycam footage on Thursday showing a man – who was shot and killed by law enforcement last week – charging at deputies with a knife in hand.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to 4717 Davisson Avenue on Feb. 6 after a man called 911 initially to report that his friend killed himself inside the home. He then said he could hear his friend screaming, but he did not want to go inside the home to see what was happening.

Shortly after two deputies arrived at the home, a man, later identified as 43-year-old Decarlos Cornelius Long, ran outside and charged the deputies with a knife in hand while yelling.

Both deputies, who have not been identified, fired their guns at Long and struck him. He was transported to the hospital, where he died from his injuries.

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The sheriff’s office said its policy is to publicly release bodycam footage within 30 days of “critical incidents,” which includes use of force by deputies, as a commitment to transparency.

“We think it’s important for members of our community to view the entirety of what is released, rather than rely on short snippets they may see elsewhere,” the OCSO said in a Facebook post with the unedited footage.

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The sheriff’s office said both deputies approached Long after they shot him and kicked the “large kitchen knife a safe distance away” in order for Orange County Fire Rescue to “safely enter the scene,” according to FOX 35 Orlando.

The knife, which was covered in blood, was described by law enforcement as a stainless steel kitchen knife.

At the time of the shooting, Sheriff John Mina said Long came out of the house with the intention of harming the deputies, so they “really had no other choice” but to respond in the way that they did.

“He was extremely agitated, holding a very large knife, and it happened in the blink of an eye,” Mina said, adding that the sheriff’s office has responded to that home at least 16 times over the past year for various reasons.

The sheriff also said Long likely had a history of “mental health issues.”

The investigation into the deadly shooting remains active.