Retired Orange County deputy shares insight after 2 officer-involved shootings this month

ORLANDO, Fla. — Investigations are underway after law enforcement used deadly force two times in two weeks.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

A retired deputy told Channel 9 that using deadly force is situational, and law enforcement only has seconds to act.

But the officers’ actions in the two incidents have shocked the community.

Resident Sofia Vasquez felt the Friday shooting at the Cortland Apartments in Lake Nona was shocking.

“Usually, they go around to make sure everything’s fine, but it’s never really been like this,” she said.

Read: Police: Orlando officers shoot, kill woman who charged at them with knives after threatening suicide

Police officers were called to the apartments after a reportedly suicidal woman threatened to hurt herself.

Officers tried to negotiate with her multiple times.

“The female ran out of the apartment with two knives and charged at the officers,” Orlando Police Department Deputy Chief Chad Ochiuzzo said. “Two officers then fired at the individual.”

The woman died at the scene.

Read: Officer-involved shootings: When should officers fire their weapons?

Daniel Sells, a retired Orange County deputy, said time is working against officers in the field.

“(There is) less than one second up to three seconds,” he said. “That’s about all the time you have to make a life-and-death decision.”

This decision was also made by Orlando Police earlier this month.

Read: Experts react to bodycam footage of Derek Diaz shooting

Police officers stopped 26-year-old Derek Diaz on July 3 for suspected drug activity.

When they asked him to keep his hands on the steering wheel, he made a move toward the center console of his car, and an officer shot Diaz.

He died at the hospital.

Sells said these split-second decisions always depend on the situation.

“When your life is in danger, and if you don’t take lethal force to protect your life, you could get killed,” he said.

VIDEO: Officer-involved shootings: When should officers fire their weapons? Officer-involved shootings: When should officers fire their weapons?

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2023 Cox Media Group