The Florida Department of Law Enforcement was called to investigate after a man was shot and killed by a Putnam County sheriff's deputy Wednesday night.
The sheriff's office said deputies were dispatched around 9 p.m. after firefighters responding to a woods fire were threatened with a knife by Charles Jones. Deputies said Jones, 47, set a fire in the woods near his Cherry Trail home that was threatening several residences.
After Jones retreated into the woods, Deputy Randy Hayes and his K-9 partner, Dzek, were called to assist two other deputies and a Florida Highway Patrol trooper in searching for him.
The sheriff's office said Jones stepped from where he had been hiding just before 10 p.m. and began threatening Hayes with the large knife.
Hayes backed away while ordering Jones to drop the knife, but when his retreat was blocked by a downed tree and Jones raised the knife in an apparent attempt to stab the deputy, Hayes fired twice, according to authorities.
Jones was pronounced dead at the scene by Putnam County Rescue personnel.
"This is a tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers go out to Mr. Jones family, as well as our law enforcement officers that were involved in the incident," Putnam County Sheriff Dean Kelly said in a statement.
The FDLE was called to conduct an investigation of the shooting death, and the State Attorneys Office was notified.
Hayes, an 11-year veteran of the sheriffs office, was place on administrative leave pending the investigation, which is standard procedure after a police-involved shooting.
