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TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Florida deputies fatally a shot a man accused of stabbing his mother Thursday morning, authorities said.
Hillsborough County deputies responded to the River Pointe Apartments in Tampa after a woman called 911 and said her adult sun had stabbed her in the hand, Sheriff Chad Chronister said during a news conference.
Deputies spotted Romello Barnes, 22, as he approached the apartment. The three deputies followed Barnes into the unit and ordered him to drop a knife multiple times, Chronister said. One of the deputies deployed a K-9. Chronister said the deputies remained in fear for their lives and the life of the dog and opened fire.
Barnes died at the scene, Chronister said. His mother was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Barnes’ criminal history includes two misdemeanors from another state and no Florida arrests. Deputies have been called to the home several times this year for mental health, domestic battery and sexual offense investigations. No arrests were ever made, and Barnes was never involuntarily hospitalized for mental health evaluation, Chronister said.
Barnes was black. Officials didn't immediately report the races of the deputies involved. Chronister said none of the deputies had previously been involved in a deadly shooting.
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