Florida man being served warrant in Sumter County died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound: Sheriff's office
ORLANDO, Fla. - The Sumter County Sheriff's Office says that a man who was being served a warrant on Tuesday took his own life after a brief standoff with a SWAT team and negotiators, rather than being fatally shot by law enforcement officers, as the agency first reported.
Around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, deputies responded to a home on W. Prairie Street in Center Hill to serve a search warrant and arrest 44-year-old Wayne Raulerson. According to the sheriff's office, Raulerson was wanted on charges of lewd or lascivious molestation of a person under the age of 12, sexual battery with a person 12 years of age or older but less than 18 years of age by a person of authority, and obstruction without violence.
"We attempted an arrest several days earlier, but he fled from our deputies and was not apprehended that night," said Capt. Jon Galvin with the sheriff's office.
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Deputies said they were informed that Raulerson was possibly armed and that he had stated that "he would not be taken alive." A SWAT and hostage negotiation team was brought in to coax Raulerson out of the residence.
"Upon our immediate arrival, this suspect exited his residence with a rifle and was immediately contacted by our SWAT team. He was told to drop the rifle; however, he turned toward the responding SWAT team, and his rifle was fired," Capt. Galvin explained. "Two members of our SWAT team returned fire."
A preliminary investigation has led detectives to believe that Raulerson died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Galvin said. No deputies were injured during the incident, the sheriff's office said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement was notified and is responding to investigate, as is standard procedure when law enforcement officers are involved in a shooting.