Police bodycam footage captured a Florida deputy’s heroic actions Thursday night when a man held a woman at knifepoint.
Deputies of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office were responding to a dispute around 9 p.m. that evening in Tampa, Florida, according to WTVT-TV.
Jason Paul, 47, was behaving “erratically” and threatening to kill his neighbor, according to HCSO.
“As deputies tried to de-escalate the situation, Paul continued making threats to kill his neighbor and, therefore, our deputies decided to Baker Act Paul. He then entered his home and refused to come out,” HCSO said in a statement.
When police looked through Paul’s window, they saw him holding a knife to a woman, springing Deputy John Howes into action.
Warning: The following video contains graphic images some viewers may find offensive.
You ready to see a Florida hero?
Watch as this Tampa Deputy learns that the suspect grabbed a woman and held her at knifepoint
He breaks a window with his bare hands, crawls through the jagged glass, and saves the woman with a perfect shot
Wow!!
Huge props to @HCSOSheriff pic.twitter.com/MXU5ftYIek
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) December 6, 2024
Footage shows Howes breaking through a window pane before crawling through, as his fellow deputies followed behind.
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He then rushed into the hallway with his pistol drawn and Christmas decorations draped around his arm.
Howes can be heard making repeated commands to Paul, who was reportedly holding a knife.
“Put the knife down right now. Knife down right now, knife down right now,” the deputy said.
When Paul refused, Howes eventually shot him, and the woman screamed frantically.
Deputies rendered first aid to Paul until EMS arrived, but he was later pronounced dead at St. Joseph’s Hospital, according to HCSO.
“This whole call, from 911 to the time of the shooting, was 20 minutes,” said Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer. “Twenty minutes of trying to de-escalate this situation, and then it resulted in a hostage situation. Our deputies reacted incredibly in this time.”
Howes joined the HCSO in February. Prior to this incident, he had no prior use of force.
Paul had a criminal history that included aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and resisting an officer without violence in 2005, according to HCSO.
He was also arrested for driving under the influence in 1999.
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