LEESBURG, Fla. — A Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputy acted lawfully when he fatally shot Timotheus Reed while responding to a reported stabbing in April, according to a review released by the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office.
The six-page review, dated Wednesday, concluded the deputy reasonably feared for his life when Reed allegedly ignored repeated commands, reached into his pocket and turned toward the deputy from approximately 10 feet away.
The State Attorney’s Office closed the case without filing charges. Its review did not identify the deputy.
The incident began at approximately 6:22 a.m. April 12 when a woman called 911 and reported Reed had stabbed a man multiple times in the neck and was still nearby, according to the review.
A uniformed deputy in a marked patrol vehicle responded to a vacant lot on Montclair Road in Leesburg. The 911 caller ran toward him, pointed out Reed across the street and said he was attempting to escape into the woods.
The deputy activated his cruise lights but not his emergency lights, which would have automatically activated his body-worn camera, according to the review.
The deputy told Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigators he chased Reed on foot with his gun drawn and repeatedly ordered him to show his hands and drop what he was holding. Reed had a black object in his left hand and was reaching into his right pocket, according to the deputy’s sworn statement.
The deputy said Reed aggressively turned toward him while appearing to pull something from his pocket. The deputy fired at least twice, striking Reed once in the abdomen.
The deputy immediately began providing medical assistance. Emergency medical personnel arrived within eight minutes, and Reed was transported to UF Health Leesburg Hospital before being transferred to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he died.
An autopsy found Reed died from a gunshot wound to the torso that perforated his liver and a branch of the portal vein. Toxicology testing found cocaine, methamphetamine and cannabinoids in his system, according to the review.
Investigators found a sheathed knife approximately 56 feet from Reed’s body along the path he traveled while being chased. Reed’s DNA was found on the knife’s handle, blade and sheath.
Two spent shell casings were found approximately 10 feet from Reed’s body, which prosecutors said was consistent with the deputy’s account of the distance between them.
A nearby Ring camera did not capture the shooting on video but recorded distant audio of a man repeatedly shouting for approximately 30 seconds before two gunshots were heard. Prosecutors said the recording supported the deputy’s statement that he gave Reed multiple commands before firing.
Despite the initial report that victim had been stabbed multiple times in the neck, investigators found only a small, superficial scratch on his cheek. He was holding his neck and appeared to be under the influence, but told investigators he could not remember how he was injured.
The victim and the 911 caller later provided several conflicting accounts of the events leading to the shooting, according to the review. Their statements differed from their earlier accounts, from each other and from other evidence collected during the investigation.
Both later claimed the deputy did not give Reed commands and did not have a flashlight. Prosecutors said those claims were contradicted by the Ring camera audio and another officer’s body-worn camera footage.
The State Attorney’s Office found they were not credible witnesses. Both, however, said Reed turned toward the deputy immediately before he was shot and estimated the two were five to 10 feet apart, which prosecutors said was consistent with the deputy’s account.
Prosecutors concluded the deputy reasonably believed Reed was armed with a knife and posed an imminent threat when he turned toward him while appearing to pull something from his pocket.
“Considering the information available to the deputy at the time, the use of deadly force by this deputy was reasonable, and therefore lawful, under these circumstances,” the review states.
The State Attorney’s Office said its review was limited to whether the shooting was lawful and did not address potential policy violations, which fall under LCSO’s authority.
LCSO Sgt. Jim Vachon told Inside Lake Thursday the deputy remains on leave while an internal administrative investigation continues. The agency will not release the deputy’s name until the investigation is complete, and there is no estimated completion date, Vachon said.
