HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – A call for help in a potential suicide ended in tragedy when Hillsborough County deputies fatally shot a 67-year-old man who pointed a gun at them.
The incident unfolded late Friday night when deputies responded to a 911 call from a family member concerned about a possible suicide at a residence on Courtney Palm Boulevard. Upon arrival, deputies found Anthony Dadante in the bathtub with a firearm in his hand and blood on his chest.
Body camera footage released by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office shows deputies repeatedly pleading with Dadante to drop the weapon. However, he instead pointed the gun at a deputy, prompting two deputies to open fire. Dadante died at the scene.
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Sheriff Chad Chronister described the incident as a “life-threatening confrontation that no deputy ever wants to face.” He defended the deputies’ actions, stating they made a difficult but necessary decision in a split second.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is investigating the shooting, and further updates will come from their office.
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