Naked Armed Woman Shot By Off Duty Cops
Tampa, FL — An armed naked woman was fatally shot by two off-duty police officers Saturday shortly after noon in Hernando County.
The Hernando County Sheriff’s office stated in a news release that the two police officers were approached by an “armed, naked and irrational female” around 1:15 pm while at a social gathering on Saturday, reports NBC News.
The naked woman’s weapon has not yet been identified in the news release, but it did add that “one or both of the law enforcement officers fired their weapons, striking the female.”
Following the shooting both officers were placed on administrative leave while the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigates.
The two off-duty officers involved in the shooting have been identified as Detective Rocky Howard with the Hernando County sheriff’s office and Tampa police officer William Mechler. Detective Howard has served with the sheriff’s office for six years while Officer Mechler has served for four years.
Tampa police issued a statement saying that Mechler was ” off duty and acting in the capacity of a private citizen,” according to TheOttawa Citizen.
Hernando County sheriff’s office spokeswoman Lieutenant Cinda Moore could not comment on what exactly the armed, naked woman did that led to the fatal shooting by the two off duty officers. The spokeswoman would not comment on whether the irrational nude female was warned to drop her weapon at the time.
The Herman County sheriff’s office allows officers to carry their service weapons while off duty.
The naked armed woman is not the first naked person to be shot by a police officer in recent weeks. A naked and unarmed University of South Alabama student was fatally shot by campus police two weeks ago.
The university freshman was shot after he went to the police station and pounded on the glass. The shooting has since led to protests by students. While 18-year-old Gil Collar acted aggressively toward the officer, the student’s family stated that the fatal shooting never should have happened.
The investigation into the fatal shooting of the armed, naked woman in Florida is ongoing.