CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is investigating a deadly officer-involved shooting in Homosassa that took place late Wednesday evening.
According to the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to a home on South Suncoast Boulevard around 9:30 p.m. to investigate a domestic battery case.
There, deputies found two victims with minor injuries who said the suspect physically battered them, fired a gun, then fled the scene before authorities could arrive.
Deputies later found the suspect, identified as 34-year-old Derek Large, hiding under a trailer at a nearby business. Large was ordered to surrender, but refused and pointed a firearm at deputies, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Fearing for their safety and the safety of others, deputies on scene deployed lethal force,” an agency representative said in a post on Facebook.
The sheriff’s office later confirmed Large died at the scene and was found with a semi-automatic weapon next to his hand. The victims noted that Large was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time of the incident.
The sheriff’s office said the FDLE is investigating the matter.
At this time, three deputies were placed on paid administrative leave pending the results of FDLE’s investigation. No additional injuries were reported.
“The suspect posed a significant danger to our entire community and most especially the victims involved in this case,” Sheriff Mike Prendergast said. “When an impaired convicted felon recklessly points a handgun at law enforcement, a split-second decision has to be made by our deputies to protect themselves and our citizens. I am extremely grateful our deputies were able to go home at the end of their shift.”
