ORLANDO, Fla. (WFLA) — An Orlando police officer shot and killed a man early Monday morning who they believed was reaching for a gun, according to a news release from the police department.
Officers patrolling in the area of Jefferson Street and North Orange Avenue saw a man, who they said there was probable cause to believe was involved in drug activity, according to police.
Police said the area has been a hot spot for criminal activity and many guns had been seized in the area in recent months.
The man was allegedly ignoring the officer’s commands and “made a movement as if to retrieve a gun,” police said.
The man was later identified as 26-year-old Derek Diaz, according to WESH.
The officer was not injured and has been placed on administrative leave, police said.
Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said that through the early part of the investigation, police have not yet found a gun in the car Diaz was sitting in, according to WESH.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the shooting, which is standard procedure, police said.
The officer was wearing a body camera at the time, and the video will be released to the public within 30 days, according to police.
No other information was immediately available.