NOKOMIS – The Sarasota Sheriff’s Office is investigating a deputy involved shooting that left one man dead following a domestic dispute.
According to deputies a resident living at the Palm and Pines Mobile & RV Park heard an altercation between a male and female just after midnight early Saturday morning.
“According to the caller he heard loud noises, screaming, and possible gunshots,” said Sheriff’s Tom Knight.
Sheriff Knight says when his deputy arrived to the RV Park on Tamiami Trail the deputy found 65-year-old Mark Richard Coleman on top of his screaming wife.
“While approaching the suspect in the incident the deputy made verbal command for the suspect to get off the female as he continued to approach and making his commands the suspect revealed a weapon, a firearm, to the deputy,” said Sheriff’s Knight at a press conference.
Sheriff’s Knight says Coleman allegedly refused to drop the weapon and even told the deputy to shoot him while placing the gun in his own mouth.
“The deputy giving the verbal commands tried to deescalate it” said Sheriff Knight. “So everything occurs within probably 45 seconds from this deputy arriving to this encounter happening.”
Investigators say, that’s when a witness jumped on Coleman’s back. “When the citizen was on him as he threw them off he put the gun put and pointed it the weapon at the deputy, and the deputy discharged his weapon one time and killing the suspect with one shot,” he said.
Sheriff’s Knight reports the female was taken to a local hospital suffering minor injuries. The deputy is on a paid administrative leave while the sheriff’s office investigates the incident.
