Man killed after hitting deputy with metal rod, trying to burn child he thought was possessed by demon: HCSO
SEBRING, Fla. - A suspect accused of hitting a Highlands County deputy with a metal bar was shot and killed by another deputy Tuesday afternoon.
The Highlands County Sheriff's Office said first responders received a call at around 4 p.m. about several people burning a pile of debris on the side of Bay Blossom Drive near the intersection of US 98 in Sebring.
Highlands County Fire Rescue crews responded first and called for deputies after being confronted by the suspect, 39-year-old Richard Myron Ham. When deputies arrived, they said the suspect was armed with two metal rods.
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Ham refused to follow the deputies' orders, and they tased the suspect, according to investigators. But, Ham wasn't affected by the taser, and he was seen pulling the taser probes from his body and re-arming himself with one of the metal bars, officials said.
Deputies say Ham armed himself with a metal rod. Image is courtesy of the Highlands County Sheriff's Office.
That's when the sheriff's office said Ham swung the bar and struck one of the responding deputies in the head.
The other deputy fired his gun at Ham, and he was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to officials. The injured deputy was taken to the hospital where he was treated and later released, HCSO said.
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Officials said it appeared that Ham and a 30-year-old woman were burning items that belonged to her 9-year-old son because they believed he was possessed by a demon.
Deputies say Ham was burning items and even tried to burn a child he thought was possessed by a demon. Image is courtesy of the Highlands County Sheriff's Office.
Witnesses also told deputies that Ham put the 9-year-old on the fire and covered him with a blanket that was also on fire. According to investigators, the child was able to get out without serious injuries.
The woman and the child were both listed as missing and endangered out of Wichita, Kansas on December 6, authorities said. It wasn't immediately clear to law enforcement why all three came to Highlands County.
Law enforcement vehicles and officers at scene of deadly deputy-involved shooting. Image is courtesy of the Highlands County Sheriff's Office.
Multiple guns and drugs were found in a vehicle that Ham and the woman were driving at the time, the sheriff's office said.
The suspect had a criminal history that included convictions for armed felonies and drug possession, as well as multiple arrests in Arkansas, South Carolina and Georgia.
The deputy-involved shooting is under investigation by the 10th Judicial Circuit Officer Involved Deadly Incident Task Force.