'Not a question': Expert weighs in on use of force in Charlotte County shootings

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. — After back-to-back fatal deputy-involved shootings in Charlotte County last week, Fox 4 reached out to law enforcement expert and professor of forensic sciences at FGCU, Dr. David Thomas, for insight into the investigations.

On Thursday, Jan. 16, Charlotte County deputies responded to a home on Eager Road in Punta Gorda. The sheriff’s office said it received multiple 911 calls saying 53-year-old Michael Schwartz had been walking around, firing a gun into the air and pointing it at neighbors, yelling “where are the cops at.”

“Schwartz stood up and raised a handgun in the direction of the deputies, deputies looked for cover and concealment before two deputies fired multiple times from their issued firearms,” said Sheriff Bill Prummell in a video press release on the shooting.

Plantation Police

Sheriff Prummell said Schwartz died at the scene. Fox 4 found court documents showing Schwartz had a long history of mental health struggles.

Just over 24 hours later, deputies shot and killed 36-year-old Shawn Ravert in Englewood, after the sheriff’s office said he had been up for days possibly on drugs, and was armed with a machete.

“Despite multiple commands to put the weapon down, the man continued to move toward the deputies in an aggressive manner, ignoring orders to stop stating ‘shoot me’,” Sheriff Prummell said in another video press release.

Dr. Thomas said these deputies handled the situations as they should have.

“In the two shootings that you talk about, there’s not a question that deadly force should be used,” Dr. Thomas said.

Given the fact the suspects were armed, Thomas said the deputies were duty-bound to get control of the situation by any means.

“That’s what they’re paid for, is to stop that threat and prevent further harm to other people,” explained Dr. Thomas.

According to Thomas, it would have been inappropriate to try and use non-lethal means to get control of the suspects, and both situations called for deputies to put an immediate stop to the threat.

“From the perspective of being a cop and having to do that, that's a horrible position to be in because you recognize there is an issue but you also recognize there is no other way to be able to deal with this,” he said.

These deputy-involved shootings come just over a month after CCSO’s Sgt. Elio Diaz was killed in the line of dutyon Dec. 15. The suspect, Andrew Mostyn Jr, was later killed by deputies after a short manhunt. Thomas said the compounding incidents are likely taking a toll on the deputies tasked with keeping the county safe.

“Charlotte County has been going through it these last few months, and I pray for those guys,” said Dr. Thomas. “I just hope the public really understands and appreciates what they have to do, and what they’re enduring right now because they are really catching hell.”

The sheriff’s office is expected to release additional details about the latest deputy-involved shootings later this week.