GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- A man was shot and killed by law enforcement Tuesday morning after opening fire on deputies attempting to serve a felony narcotics warrant at a Gainesville apartment.
According to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the incident began around 7:54 a.m. when members of the Office Warrants Division, working alongside the U.S. Marshals Task Force, attempted to arrest a suspect at 102 NW 9th Terrace. Deputies spoke to residents inside, who said the man was inside with his girlfriend.
Deputies told the suspect to surrender. After entering the apartment and approaching a closed bedroom door, deputies told the suspect again to surrender or else a police canine would be sent in. The woman eventually exited and was safely removed. A gunshot was then fired from the bedroom in the direction of law enforcement.
“No deputies were injured,” said Capt. Chris Sims, public information officer for the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. “We pulled our deputies from the residence and immediately began evacuating the building, which included residents who were bedridden and needed assistance.”
Authorities evacuated multiple apartments in the building, using stretchers to move at least two medically vulnerable individuals. SWAT and hostage negotiation teams were called to the scene, along with the bomb squad and robotics team. Negotiators engaged the suspect for two to three hours.
Eventually, deputies sprayed a chemical similar to pepper spray into the residence to encourage the suspect to surrender. He responded by firing additional rounds through a window toward officers and an armored vehicle, according to Sims. The suspect later exited the apartment holding a handgun pointed in the direction of deputies. One deputy fired a single shot, striking the suspect. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
“This is never the result we want,” Sims said. “Our goal is always peaceful surrender. But in this case, given that he fired on law enforcement, our deputies acted to protect themselves and others.”
Officials have not released the suspect’s name, pending notification of next of kin. However, residents in the area said the man was known locally as “Chico.”
“I got a phone call saying Chico had a warrant,” said Derrick, a neighbor. “When the girlfriend opened the door, they said he came up behind her and fired at police.”
Dennis Darby, who identified himself as a roommate of the suspect, said he was in the apartment when the incident began and was later forced to evacuate.
“I opened the door, and it was U.S. Marshals in the house,” Darby said. “They evacuated us. They even took my disabled mother out through the window—she’s only got one leg. We haven’t been allowed back in since.”
Sims emphasized that the nearby University of Florida campus was not involved in the incident. While the UF Human Resources building is located across the street, it was not part of the scene. University staff allowed displaced residents and law enforcement to temporarily use the building for cooling and restroom access.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the use of deadly force, which is standard in deputy-involved shootings. The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office will continue its investigation into the original felony case.