Sheriff’s Office Deputies on Paid Administrative Leave After Killing Man
The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office announced this morning that four deputies have been placed on paid administrative leave after discharging their guns against a man, resulting in his death.
According to an ACSO press release, deputies responded to reports of a "suspicious person" at Holly Heights apartments, which ACSO described as a "densely populated apartment community." The caller reported that “a male was armed with a handgun and beating on the front door of their residence,” the press release states.
ACSO reports that deputies arrived on the scene and encountered the man, later identified as Darian Denard Holmes, “still armed, recklessly brandishing the firearm, and making statements that indicated he was in a heightened state of crisis.” ACSO says they spent 40 minutes attempting to “negotiate with him in an effort to safely resolve the situation.”
According to ACSO, “At some point during the encounter, shots were fired,” causing deputies to shoot Holmes. ACSO doesn’t specify if Holmes shot towards deputies or who shot first.
ACSO later issued an update to the press release clarifying Holmes died of his injuries in the hospital.
ACSO’s update goes on to state, “During the initial response, deputies confirmed Holmes’ identity and learned he had 14 prior felony convictions, including two convictions for Felon in Possession of a Firearm.”
In 2020, Holmes was facing several gun charges and one count of homicide, but all were dropped aside from one count of possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. Holmes’ other conviction for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon dates back to 2007.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is conducting an independent investigation into the shooting.
This is the second police shooting to occur in Gainesville in recent months. In July, Samuel Rivera was killed by a member of the ACSO SWAT team in a standoff. A few days later, Rivera’s ex-girlfriend accused ACSO of escalating and said a negotiator hung up on him before he was killed. The FDLE is also investigating this shooting.
