The Orlando-based Florida Civil Rights Association said it will conduct a police misconduct investigation to determine if one of more deputies with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office used excessive force in the shooting death of Andrew Lee Scott, who was the wrong suspect.
Scott, 26, was shot and killed after police knocked on his door in the early morning hours looking for a suspect in an attempted murder. According to news reports, Scott answered the door with a gun and pointed it at deputies He was shot and killed by one of the deputies.
Deputies did not announce themselves when they knocked on Scott’s door.
Jonathan Brown, 31, the suspect who was wanted for attempted murder was later found in a nearby building. He was taken into custody.
Lake County deputies said, drugs and related paraphernalia were found in Scott’s apartment, but he was not the suspect wanted in the attempted murder.
“The shooting of any citizen by a police officer is of great concern to the Florida Civil Rights Association, especially where maybe doubt as to whether the officer needed to resorts to deadly force,” said Florida Civil Rights Association President, J. Willie David, III.
Added David, “The Lake County Sheriff’s Office should have a policy in place that requires its deputies to identify themselves when attempting to gain access to an individual’s home.”
David said that a determination ought to be made as to whether Lake County Sheriff’s deputies are intentionally disregarding non-deadly means to quell a situation and are opting, as a default, for the use of deadly force. The group called on the Lake County Sheriff to “immediately end this deadly police tactic of not announcing the law enforcement agency to a homeowner before gaining entry.”
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is also investigating the fatal shooting of Scott.
