Wanted man fatally shot by deputies during chaotic brawl in yard, Florida sheriff says
An armed felony suspect was fatally shot when he ran from a home toward waiting deputies, according to Florida investigators.
Body camera video released by the Pasco Sheriff’s Office shows the fatal shots were fired during a chaotic struggle that included multiple deputies and a K9.
See the video here. Warning: It contains content some might find difficult to watch and language some might find offensive.
It happened around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19, when deputies came to serve eight felonywarrants at a home in Bayonet Point in Pasco County, about a 40-mile drive northwest from Tampa.
Children were in the home, along with other adults, leading to a lengthy standoff, the sheriff’s office said.
“Following approximately 30 minutes of de-escalation attempts, the subject fled the residence out a back door with a firearm and refused to comply,” the sheriff’s office said.
“A PSO K9 was released and a close-quarter altercation ensued while the individual continued to possess the firearm. Deputies discharged their firearms, and the subject was shot and pronounced deceased on scene.”
Ten shots are heard in the video.
Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said the deputies “were in a fight for their lives.” No deputies were injured, he said.
The suspect was identified as 41-year-old Matthew Vincent Phillips and he had been on the run since Friday, Jan. 17, Nocco said at a news conference.
“The suspect ... said he was not going back to prison and he would have a shootout with the law enforcement, that he would harm us,” Nocco said.
“This all happened in seconds. Those deputies were in fear for their life. ... The deputies said, in their distinct way, if you do not drop the gun, we will shoot you. He did not put down the gun, so we shot him.”
The deputies who fired the rounds have been put on paid administrative leave while an investigation into the shooting is conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, officials said.
This story was originally published January 20, 2025 at 9:59 AM with the headline "Wanted man fatally shot by deputies during chaotic brawl in yard, Florida sheriff says."