YULEE, Fla. — 1:25 p.m. Update:
A man is dead after a deputy involved shooting near Green Pine Cemetery in Yulee, the Nassau County Sheriff's Office confirmed.
The sheriff's office said deputies were called to the area for a wellness check on a man who might have been suicidal. When officers located the man, he was pointing a pistol at his head, the sheriff's office said.
In a statement released Thursday afternoon, deputies attempted to "de-escalate the situation and persuade the individual to put down the weapon and talk." The man pointed his firearm at the deputies and deputies shot the man in response, according to the agency.
The statement continued:
"This was not the desired outcome, but our priority is ensuring our deputies' safety so they can return home. Our hearts go out to the individual's family members during this difficult time.
Per NCSO policy, the deputies involved have been placed on administrative leave. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is on the scene, investigating the incident. We will continue to update the public as more information becomes available."
Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said four deputies were involved in the shooting, with three firing at the man. The initial deputy on scene tried to talk with man, Leeper added, before three deputies arrived. The first deputy did not fire at the man.
“All of a sudden he puts a gun to his head, that heightens everything and puts everyone in jeopardy,” said Leeper. “We want to resolve it peacefully, that’s our ultimate goal, but if we can’t, we want to make sure our deputies are not injured and go home to their families at the end of their shift.”
The man is local to area and believed to have connection to cemetery, police said.
None of the deputies were injured, according to the sheriff's office. The shooting was off of Chester Road, about halfway between Yulee and Fernandina Beach off State Road 200.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement was called to the scene to assist the investigation. The sheriff's office is asking people to avoid the area during the investigation.