A Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputy fatally shot a girl who was armed with a stolen handgun early Monday morning on Stock Island.
She was shot after pointing the handgun at deputies, MCSO spokesman Adam Linhardt said.
“This incident is a tragedy for everyone involved,” Sheriff Rick Ramsay said in a statement. “While the deputy appears to have acted in self-defense, I have asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to conduct an independent investigation to ensure transparency.”
At 5:21 a.m., deputies responded to a call of a suicidal juvenile who had stolen a firearm, broke off an attached gun lock and walked to a remote location on Stock Island, Linhardt said.
“She pointed the gun at deputies who were attempting to de-escalate the situation,” Linhardt said.
After she was shot, deputies “immediately called for rescue and rendered aid,” Linhardt said.
The girl was pronounced dead at Lower Keys Medical Center.
Linhardt told Keys Weekly he could not name the girl or give her age. A press release only referred to her as a “female juvenile.”
On Monday, an FDLE spokesperson would only confirm that the state agency is investigating.
“At the request of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, FDLE is investigating an officer-involved shooting in the Florida Keys from this morning,” said Dana Kelly, of the FDLE’s press office. “This is an active investigation and we have no additional information.”
