The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an early Tuesday morning incident that ended with a fatal shooting involving deputies.
Viera man commits ‘suicide by cop’ Sheriff Ivey says
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According to Sheriff Wayne Ivey, deputies responded to a home on Egret Lake Way in Viera around 2:46 a.m. after a family, in distress, fled to a neighbor’s house and called 911.
When deputies contacted the man still inside the home, he reportedly told them, “It’s game over;” indicating they would need to enter and shoot him.
Approximately an hour later, the man exited the home armed with a gun and refused to comply with deputies’ de-escalation commands.
According to Ivey, the man raised his weapon at the deputies, prompting them to fire.
The man was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Sheriff Ivey described the situation as a “suicide by cop” incident.
“While my heart goes out to those struggling with mental health issues, pointing a gun at one of my deputies guarantees a trip to the hospital or, more likely, the morgue,” Ivey said.
No deputies were injured during the incident. The sheriff confirmed that a full investigation will be conducted, and the deputies involved will remain on administrative’ leave pending the outcome.