PAISLEY – A Lake County deputy is on leave after a traffic stop in Paisley ended with a shooting Monday night.
According to a statement from Lake County Sheriff’s Sgt. Fred Jones, the deputy responded to a call in the Lake Kathryn area of Paisley just after midnight when he noticed a vehicle run a stop sign nearby.
The deputy pursued the vehicle which tried to flee briefly before pulling over.
When the car pulled over, the driver, 51-year-old Robin Pearson, immediately exited the vehicle and began approaching the deputy quickly and aggressively, according to the report.
The deputy shouted for Pearson to get back in her car repeatedly but Pearson continued to ignore him. At one point, Pearson reached into her pocket to remove an unknown object which is when the deputy, in fear for his safety, shot Pearson. It was later discovered that the item Pearson was removing from her pocket was a cell phone.
Pearson was transported to Central Florida Regional Hospital in Sanford and is now in stable condition.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is investigating the shooting as part of standard procedure with all officer-involved shootings. The deputy was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
The vehicle Pearson was driving turned out to be a stolen vehicle. Pearson is being charged with grand theft auto and fleeing and attempting to elude an officer.
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