Investigators have not disclosed the specific threat deputies said prompted them to shoot a man during Sunday’s Inverness encounter.
INVERNESS, Fla. — The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is set to investigate a fatal shooting involving Citrus County sheriff’s deputies after authorities said officers opened fire on a man who approached them wearing a gas mask and refused repeated commands Sunday evening.
The independent state review follows an encounter on East Seneca Street that began with a threatening 911 call around 5 p.m. Sheriff David Vincent said the caller warned that law enforcement had 10 minutes to arrive at a residence before the caller began shooting people. The sheriff’s office has not publicly identified the man who died or confirmed whether he made the call.
Deputies responded to the residence and tried to contact people inside, according to Vincent. A short time later, a man wearing a gas mask and carrying a backpack emerged from a wooded area across the street and approached the deputies.
Vincent said deputies issued multiple commands that the man did not follow. At some point during the encounter, deputies perceived a threat and fired. The sheriff has not publicly detailed what the man did immediately before the gunfire or what caused deputies to conclude that a deadly threat existed.
Authorities also have not said whether the man displayed or possessed a firearm or another weapon. Officials have not disclosed what was found in the backpack, why he was wearing a gas mask or whether other evidence from the scene has been collected as part of the investigation. Those unanswered questions are expected to be central to the review of the shooting.
Deputies and emergency personnel provided medical care to the man before he was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No deputies were injured. Authorities said there was no remaining danger to the public after the encounter.
Early information released during the response said the man had been hospitalized and was in law enforcement custody. Authorities later announced that he had died, illustrating how the public account developed as officials received more information Sunday evening.
The deputies involved in the gunfire are being placed on paid administrative leave under sheriff’s office policy. FDLE’s investigation is expected to focus on the circumstances of the encounter and the deputies’ use of force. Authorities have not announced when that review could be completed or when additional investigative findings might be released.
The man’s name, the identities of the deputies who fired and the specific conduct authorities described as a threat had not been publicly released by Monday morning. The investigation remains ongoing.
Author note: Last updated October 5, 2026.