Woman screaming for help rescued when deputy shoots hammer-wielding man, Florida cops say

A woman overheard screaming during a 911 call was rescued when a deputy confronted and killed her husband beating her with a hammer, according to Florida investigators.

The fatal shots were fired as Charles Franklin Edwards Jr., 52, was running at the deputy with the hammer raised, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

The confrontation happened around 6:50 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, in the Eagle Lake area, about a 50-mile drive east from Tampa.

“The victim, a 61-year old female, reported that she was being violently beaten by her husband. … The 9-1-1 operator could hear Edwards beating the victim, and the victim was begging the operator for help,” Polk County deputies said.

“When (Deputy Sheriff) Christopher Johnston arrived on scene, he heard the victim screaming for help. When he went inside, he saw the suspect attacking the victim with a large hammer.”

Edwards Jr. ignored multiple commands “to drop the weapon and surrender,” so the deputy used a Taser, the sheriff’s office said. The non-lethal weapon did not have the expected effect, however.

“The suspect pulled out the Taser probes and aggressively ran towards … Johnston with the hammer raised and attempted to strike our deputy,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Johnston was forced to shoot at the violent and enraged suspect who was struck at least two times. Deputies performed life-saving measures until Polk County Fire Rescue arrived on the scene. … The suspect was declared deceased at the hospital.”

The woman was also taken to a hospital with “significant injuries,” deputies said. She is expected to recover.

Four investigations have been launched into the shooting, as is protocol, including an independent investigation by the 10th Judicial Circuit’s Officer-Involved Deadly Incident Task Force, deputies said. An autopsy will also be performed.

Johnston has been with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for seven years, deputies said.

“Domestic violence calls are one of the most dangerous situations law enforcement officers respond to. This is a sobering reminder of how dangerous domestic violence calls can end,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in the release. “This ... suspect was intent on killing his wife and was prevented from doing so by our deputy.”

This story was originally published November 11, 2024 at 11:50 AM with the headline "Woman screaming for help rescued when deputy shoots hammer-wielding man, Florida cops say."