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Suspect who was holding knife to woman's neck shot, killed by deputy: HCSO

By FOX 13 News Staff
Published  December 6, 2024 5:23am EST
Hillsborough County
FOX 13 News

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    TAMPA, Fla. - The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says a deputy was forced to open fire on an armed man holding a knife to a woman's neck inside an apartment on Thursday night, killing the suspect.

    According to HCSO, deputies responded around 9 p.m. to a neighbor dispute along Camden Street, off Waters Avenue west of Dale Mabry.

    Investigators said Jason Paul, 47, acted "erratically" and threatened to kill his neighbor, then went inside his apartment and refused to come out.

    The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says a deputy was forced to open fire on an armed man holding a knife to a woman's neck inside an apartment on Thursday night, killing the suspect.

    The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says a deputy was forced to open fire on an armed man holding a knife to a woman's neck inside an apartment on Thursday night, killing the suspect.

    At a news conference early Friday, Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer said deputies determined Paul was a danger to the community and decided to Baker Act him, ordering him to come back outside.

    Deputies then looked through a window into the apartment and saw Paul holding a knife to a woman who was screaming, according to HCSO. The deputies broke the window and went inside, ordering Paul to put down the knife.

    HCSO said Paul refused multiple commands, leading to Deputy John Howes firing a shot. Paul later died at the hospital.

    The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says a deputy was forced to open fire on an armed man holding a knife to a woman's neck inside an apartment on Thursday night, killing the suspect.

    The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says a deputy was forced to open fire on an armed man holding a knife to a woman's neck inside an apartment on Thursday night, killing the suspect.

    "This whole call, from 911 to the time of the shooting, was 20 minutes," Maurer said. "Twenty minutes of trying to de-escalate this situation, and then it resulted in a hostage situation. Our deputies reacted incredibly in this time."

    Deputy Howes has been with the sheriff's office since February 2024 and has no prior history of use of force, HCSO said.

    The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting, which is standard procedure.

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