Pasco County suspect shot, killed after approaching deputies with gun, officials say

LAND O' LAKES, Fla. - A domestic violence incident escalated on Thursday night, resulting in a 61-year-old Land O'Lakes man being shot and killed by Pasco Sheriff's Office deputies.

Pasco County deputy-involved shooting

The backstory:

Authorities responded to a domestic incident involving a firearm around 11:10 p.m. in the Causeway Blvd. area of Land O'Lakes. Deputies met the victim and tried to communicate with 61-year-old Enoch Harville at the scene, according to PSO. Officials say Harville was in a back room and had armed himself with a gun.

Deputies ordered Harville to drop his weapon but he ignored commands and approached deputies with his gun, according to the sheriff's office.

Officials say two deputies shot Harville, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

What they're saying:

Sheriff Chris Nocco urged victims of domestic violence to reach out for help, explaining that unlike last night, it's the victims who usually do not survive.

"If you're in a domestic violence situation, get out of it, seek help. It's never going to get better. But again, I want to thank God Almighty, our deputies are okay. Thank, you know, the training unit, everybody who helped these deputies out because, in a split second, they had to make decisions not only to save their lives, but to save the victims' lives. And they were heroic out there," shared Sheriff Nocco.

No deputies or other civilians were injured. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the deputy-involved shooting and the deputies who fired the rounds have been placed on paid administrative leave according to agency policy.

Pasco CountyCrime and Public Safety