Authorities: Florida man killed himself before deputy fired

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BRANDON, Fla. (AP) – Authorities in Florida say that a man shot and killed himself in a Wal-Mart parking lot right before a deputy fired at him.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday preliminary results from the medical examiner’s office showed that 28-year-old Paul Mebane “shot himself an instant before the deputy fired.”

On Friday evening, Col. Donna Lusczynski said Mebane was armed and refused to drop his weapon when confronted. That’s when a deputy fired at Mebane.

Lusczynski said deputies were called after receiving reports of a suicidal man. Lusczynski said the deputy who shot Mebane had been placed on leave pending an investigation.

Authorities have not released the races of the slain man and the deputy.

The shooting occurred near a car with children inside but none were injured.

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