Deputies 'forced to open fire' on armed man

TAMPA (FOX 13) - A man is dead Wednesday morning after deputies say they were forced the shoot him outside his apartment Tuesday night.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office says the incident began around 10:45 p.m. when deputies were called to the Windwood Oaks Apartments off Florida Avenue, not far from Bearss Avenue, because a man was yelling outside his apartment and waving a gun.

At least four deputies arrived, including one crisis intervention deputy, and tried to get the man, identified as 27-year-old Jeffrey Glen Casale, to calm down and to drop the gun, but he refused.

Instead, they say Casale “rapidly advanced” upon them while aiming his gun in their direction, and they were forced to shoot.

“They were concerned that he may go into another apartment and take hostages, but his direction of threats was at our personnel,” explained HCSO Col. Greg Brown. “Like I said, he pointed the gun at them and advanced towards their direction, at which time they felt they had no other choice.”

He was hit in upper body, and deputies say they worked to keep him alive until an ambulance could arrive and take him to the hospital.

He was listed in critical condition, but he later passed away.

The sheriff’s office says all four deputies will be placed on routine administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.

FOX 13 will continue with updates as they become available.