Pasco Sheriff: one man dead in deputy-involved shooting

PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — A man is dead after being shot by a deputy at U.S. 19 and New York Avenue in Hudson, according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

The investigation led to the closure of U.S. 19 between New York Avenue and Bolton Avenue.

The sheriff’s office says no deputies were injured during the altercation and that there is no threat to the public.

Pasco County Colonel Jeff Harrington said the incident began around 5:30 p.m. Saturday when one of his deputies thought he recognized a suspect wanted in a battery by strangulation case.

The deputy spoke to the suspect, identified as 40-year-old Paul Smith, at a 7-Eleven and instructed him to get out of the car, in which Smith refused.

Pasco Sheriff’s officials said Smith started to drive away with the deputy hanging from the open door of the car. The deputy told Smith to stop multiple times before deploying his taser. 

“The suspect then decides he’s going to drive away from the scene with the deputy inside and at that point, the deputy is fighting for his life,” said Harrington during a press conference. “During the course of this incident, the deputy sheriff continues to yell, continues to give commands to the suspect to stop, to stop, stop the car repeatedly.”

After the deployment of the taser, officials said the deputy warned Smith that he would shoot if he did not stop the car. Smith ignored the commands before the deputy shot him. 

Following the shooting, officials said the deputy rendered aid to Smith, but he later died from his injuries.

Harrington says the entire incident lasted around one-and-a-half minutes.

The shooting is currently under investigation.