A man in Polk County was shot and killed by deputies on Wednesday following threats of a murder-suicide, as reported by Sheriff Grady Judd.
In a recent briefing, Judd announced that the sheriff’s office had received a report concerning a man named Adayn Rodriguez, who is 41 years old.
“At about 1:30 this afternoon, (his) brother called the sheriff’s office and said that his brother, Adayn, was threatening to kill himself,” Judd explained. “Not only that — he was threatening to kill his wife. In fact, he told his brother, ‘How convenient is it that it’s (her) birthday?’”
Authorities quickly reached the location close to Haines City, where Rodriguez emerged from the residence brandishing a firearm at one of the officers before retreating back indoors, Judd noted.
In the following hour, deputies worked to calm the situation, while Rodriguez placed multiple calls to 911 during this period, as reported by investigators.
“He in fact called one of our deputies and said, ‘Hey, I want to talk to you on a personal matter,’” Judd said. “Apparently, Adayn is a mechanic, and at some time in the past worked on one of the deputies’ personal vehicles.”
The deputy made another attempt to calm the situation, but when that proved unsuccessful, they sought to remove his wife from the house — without success, according to Judd.
Rodriguez then appeared once more on the balcony of the residence, aiming a firearm at one of the deputies, which led to gunfire from two deputies in close proximity, as reported by Judd.
A lieutenant present at the location successfully hit Rodriguez with a bullet, prompting Rodriguez to withdraw into the residence, according to Judd.
In the meantime, Judd reported that an entry team successfully accessed the residence and confronted Rodriguez, resulting in multiple shots being fired, ultimately leading to his death.
In the course of the investigation at the residence, authorities discovered the lifeless body of his spouse, Carla Rodriguez, aged 35.
After the shootout, authorities successfully obtained a search warrant on Wednesday evening, according to Judd.
At the briefing on Wednesday, Judd provided details about Carla Rodriguez’s arrest earlier this year.
Furthermore, Adayn Rodriguez was reported to have a background of criminal activity that included allegations of domestic violence and assault, as stated by Judd to the media.
“What we know is that they have had ongoing problems, according to one relative, for about five years,” he said. “Carla was apparently arrested for domestic violence this last summer against him. They have three children together: two twins that are 4 years old, and I believe a 5-year-old. She has two additional children.”
Nonetheless, Judd mentioned that the children were not present in the house during the shooting incident. They chose to stay with their grandmother instead.
An inquiry into the shooting is currently in progress. Currently, there are no further details available.