Video caught the moment that Florida police shot a man armed with a knife and pepper spray on the side of a road Sunday, FOX35 reported.
The man, 23-year-old David Laperriere, had reportedly walked away from a mental health facility where his mother had brought him for an intervention, according to FOX35. Laperrier’s mother, who said he suffers from schizophrenia, reportedly made a 911 call just after noon requesting help because her son was “acting erratic,” FOX35 reported. (RELATED: Police Release Bodycam Footage Of Fatal Shooting Of Naked 19-Year-Old Wielding Knife)
Ocala police shooting: Video shows moments before Florida officers shoot man experiencing mental health crisis https://t.co/0162YRf18L
— FOX 13 Tampa Bay (@FOX13News) May 21, 2024
Officers caught up with and confronted Laperriere a mile and a half from the mental health facility, according to the outlet.
Video shows officers pleading with Laperriere to drop the knife and pepper – which reportedly had a range of 40 feet – he was holding.
A total of three officers were on the scene; one armed with a Taser, one with a 40-millimeter-launcher, and another with a firearm, FOX35 reported.
One officer can be seen in the video, gun drawn, trying to deescalate the situation by letting Laperrier know that he was not in any trouble and that his mother was concerned about him.
“Drop’em, buddy. Drop’em, man,” one officer commands, apparently referring to the knife and bear deterrent spray.
Police said that during the negotiations with Laperriere, officers tasered him and struck him in the thigh with the 40-millimeter launcher, but neither had any effect, FOX35 reported.
According to police, Laperriere said multiple times that he wanted to end his life and, on the video, he can be heard saying, “I’m not going to no mental hospital.” An officer is then heard saying, “You don’t have to. Talk to us.”
The video shows Laperriere refusing numerous commands to drop his knife, before he unloads the pepper spray at officers, charges them and gets shot.
Officers performed life-saving measures on Laperriere before emergency personnel arrived and took him to a local hospital where doctors performed multiple surgeries, FOX35 reported.
Lapierre, who is currently recovering in the hospital, is charged with two counts of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer and one count of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, according to FOX35.
