NOKOMIS, Fla. (WFLA) — A Sarasota deputy shot and killed a man found struggling with his screaming wife at an RV park in Nokomis Saturday morning.
“It’s an unfortunate situation. It’s unfortunate there was a weapon involved, a gun,” said Sheriff Tom Knight.
A deputy responded to a 911 call at the Palm & Pines Mobile & RV Park around 12:40 a.m. The caller mentioned hearing yelling and possible gunshots.
When the deputy arrived, he contacted the suspect, later identified as 65-year-old Mark Richard Coleman, on top of his screaming wife.
The deputy ordered Coleman to get off her, but said he did not comply, and revealed he had a handgun, which he allegedly refused to drop. He even told the deputy to shoot him while placing the gun inside his own mouth.
The deputy reportedly continued to order Coleman to remove the gun from his mouth. Coleman was then grabbed from behind by a witness and a struggle ensued. During the struggle, the deputy said Coleman pointed the gun at him which is when the deputy shot and killed him.
Dangerous situations become worse when citizens get involved in this way, Sheriff Knight stressed.
“They’re rapidly occurring. Deputies and police officers rely on their training and the way they’re trained to work, everything just comes naturally fluid to them. The orders, the deescalation, everything that they’re doing. Having a citizen get involved doesn’t help because we’re trained to deescalate it,” he said.
The sheriff’s office had a “very minor” history with Coleman, “nothing significant,” Sheriff Knight said.
The deputy was placed on a routine paid administrative leave while the sheriff’s office investigates the incident.
Coleman’s wife was treated for minor injuries. No one else was injured.