Sheriff's office: Man shot by deputies pointed a gun at them first

DUNNELLON — Wednesday morning's deputy-involved shooting in a wooded area north of Dunnellon is being investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. But in the meantime, more information about the incident has been released by the Marion County Sheriff's Office.

Here's what we know:

Name of the person shot

Scott Michael Peltier.

Which deputies were involved?

A detective and two deputies, all men, were involved. Their names were not released by the sheriff's office because they invoked Marsy's Law, which forbids the official release of victim information.

The fourth person on scene was Stephen McEldowney, a deputy trainee. His name was released by officials because he did not witness the shooting.

What happened?

Sheriff's office officials said the deputies and detective were in the 10500 block of U.S. 41, north of Dunnellon, conducting a follow-up investigation on a trespassing complaint. Authorities said when they arrived, they found Peltier on property in violation of a trespass warning issued on Sept. 17.

They noticed he was armed with a firearm in a holster on his hip. Peltier refused commands to leave the property and was upset.

Peltier was told multiple times to keep his hands up and away from the gun. But Peltier drew the firearm and pointed it at deputies, officials said. Fearing for their safety, deputies shot Peltier.

Deputies provided medical treatment. A revolver, with its hammer cocked, was found on the ground near the man, officials said.

The gunshot wounds are non-life threatening. Peltier was transported to a local hospital for treatment. He remained there Thursday afternoon.

At the time of the shooting, McEldowney had gone to get an item from his vehicle that would be used to cut a fence, law enforcement officials said.

MCSO officials said Peltier has been charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, trespassing while armed and resisting or opposing an officer with violence. His bail will be set at $12,000.

The deputies are on paid administrative leave, as per MCSO policy.

Peltier's interview

After the shooting, Detectives Daniel Pinder and Michael Fredette interviewed Peltier. They said he made mention of Army intelligence and terrorists.

He told the detectives that law enforcement officials in marked vehicles had approached him Wednesday morning and one of them showed him identification. Though the officials were professional, Peltier said, he would not allow them on property "with the presence of Army Intelligence," according to the detectives' report.

Peltier told the detectives he doesn't remember anyone giving him a trespass warning or any deputies explaining anything to him. He denied removing his gun from the holster and told the detectives that he had the holster for six months.

He said the gun must have fallen from the holster. He said he was upset when deputies opened the fencing near his makeshift home in the woods. Peltier asked for a military lawyer.

Body camera footage from one the deputies shows Peltier ranting about top secret clearance and refusing to get out from what's been described as a concealed encampment. The report states a deputy pulled back a tarp. A deputy told Peltier to keep his hands up, and Peltier said he would not get out "without a state representative."

"The defendant reaches across his body with his right hand and grabs the firearm while deputy (name redacted) order him to not touch it," according to Pinder's report.

From the body camera, Pinder said, he "observed something in the defendant's hand as he walked behind the tent out of view of the camera." A deputy is heard saying "gun gun gun," and a few moments later, shots were fired. The deputies entered the camp and attended to Peltier, according to the report.

Peltier's camp is roughly 20 yards west in the woods and has chicken-wire like fencing. The fence had tarps that were attached and zipped together. There was also a tent and a table.

Information about Peltier

Locally, the 59-year-old does not have a criminal record. But he has had contact with law enforcement.

Three days before the shooting, one of the three deputies on scene Wednesday gave Peltier a trespass warning and told not to go on the property on Southwest 177th Avenue Road.

In an email, the deputy said he explained the warning to Peltier and had Peltier repeat the meaning of the warning, just so he could confirm that the order was understood.

The deputy told Peltier that he doesn't own the property. He said in the email that Peltier was armed and was not sure if Peltier would cooperate with deputies.

The deputy told Peltier that if he was still on the property and armed, then he would be charged with armed trespassing.

A second incident pertaining to Peltier was in September 2022. According to a Dunnellon Police Department report, an officer issued Peltier a trespass warning at the request of a manager at Taco Bell.

The report states several customers felt uncomfortable when they saw Peltier talking to himself.

Peltier has had encounters with two people who were interviewed by a Star-Banner reporter on Wednesday. They said Peltier was agitated and angry whenever they dealt with him.

Greg Pelletier, who's from an Inverness veterans facility, said he tried helping Peltier, who is a U.S. Army veteran. But Peltier declined assistance. Told Thursday that Peltier remained hospitalized, Pelletier said he was glad that he's alive.

A property manager who represents the owner of the land on which Peltier was trespassing spoke to the man on several occasions. He said Peltier would post signs — such as "private property" and "keep out" — on the trees, even though he himself was not allowed on the land.

Attorney report

Local defense lawyer Jimmie Sparrow is representing two of the deputies involved. The lawyer, who is a former police officer, told a Star-Banner reporter that he has no comment about the case. Asked if his clients have been involved in any other shootings, he said he's not aware of any.

As of Thursday, FDLE agents had not interviewed his clients. He's not sure when they will be interviewed. As for how his clients are doing, Sparrow said as well as can be under the circumstances.

Deputy-involved shootings

Since 2017, there have been nine deputy-involved shootings. Six have been fatal.

No charges: State clears deputies in fatal shooting. Man's family's lawyer says force was excessive.

The last deputy-involved shooting was in December, when 35-year-old Edwards Charles Townsend III, of South Carolina, was shot once in the back after a struggle with deputies where he took a deputy's Taser. The incident occurred in The Villages. Both deputies involved were cleared by prosecutors.

The man's family lawyer said the shooting was excessive.

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: More information released in Wednesday's deputy-involved shooting