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Video shows OIS of man shooting at deputies with tactical shotgun

Deputies fatally shot the man after he pointed and fired a Kel-Tec KSG gun at them following a vehicle pursuit

Katie Kustura
The News-Journal

DELTONA, Fla. — Video released Thursday from Volusia deputies’ body cameras and the Sheriff’s Office helicopter shows the pursuit of Gregory Howe, who was killed after shooting at deputies with a tactical shotgun.

While Howe’s weapon isn’t visible in the video, Sheriff Mike Chitwood said the 37-year-old was still sitting in his pickup when he leveled and fired a Kel-Tec KSG tactical shotgun at deputies Tuesday afternoon.

Those deputies — identified Wednesday as Sgt. John McDonald, 52; detective Shawn Adkins, 29; detective John Frazzini, 50; and deputy Graeme Foster, 30 — were uninjured and have been placed on administrative leave while the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigates as is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings.

https://www.facebook.com/VolusiaSheriff/videos/1500158856836120

Also released Thursday morning was a letter from Brodie Hughes, president of the union of Volusia County deputies, to Jason Umberger, police chief in DeLand.

In the letter, Hughes criticizes Umberger for holding Wednesday afternoon “an appalling press conference attempting to distance the DeLand Police Department from yesterday’s shooting involving our deputies.”

https://www.facebook.com/volusiacountydeputiesassociation/posts/3127961017429750

Howe’s first contact with law enforcement on Tuesday occurred when a DeLand officer pulled him over about 2:45 p.m. for not wearing a seat belt, DeLand Police Chief Jason Umberger said.

During the press conference held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at DeLand police headquarters, Umberger said he wanted to make it clear that his officers didn’t pursue Howe at any point after Howe drove off from the traffic stop, ignoring the DeLand officer’s commands.

In a phone interview Thursday, Chitwood said he didn’t understand why Umberger was injecting himself into the situation when Chitwood said during Tuesday’s press conference that it was the sheriff’s helicopter and deputies that followed Howe.

“I’m asked the question for the third time and I said ‘we joined the pursuit,’ and that’s what got them all fired up for whatever reason,” Chitwood said Thursday.

Hughes, in his letter to Umberger, which was posted on the union’s and sheriff’s Facebook pages, said Howe’s choices led to his “untimely death.”

“The moment he made the decision to escalate his law enforcement encounter by fleeing, brandished a semi-automatic rifle, and took aim at our deputies, the outcome was decided,” Hughes wrote.

Hughes also criticized Umberger for a “lack of empathy shown toward our deputies as they cope with the physical and emotional tolls of using deadly force.”

“I’m grateful that our officers and the deputies involved in this incident are safe. That’s what I wanted to convey,” Umberger said. “I don’t have an issue with Sheriff Chitwood, I never did. I was just trying to do what was best for our police department and our city.”

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