Police in Lake County, Florida accidentally shot and killed a man they assumed was an attempted murder suspect.

Early Monday morning, several deputies from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office knocked on Andrew Lee Scott’s apartment door in the Blueberry Hills Apartment complex. They did not identify themselves as police and the 26-year-old answered the door with a gun in hand.

According to the Lt. John Herrell, Scott’s gun was aimed at one of the deputies, and that's why he was ultimately shot and killed.

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The deputies have not been identified because of safety reasons, since incidents like this could result in retaliation from local citizens. The biggest question most have is: Even if you must shoot at the man because of a threat, did you have to kill him? Then again, conversely, one might ask: Who answers the door pointing a weapon at anyone, let alone police?

Call it a conspiracy or call it just being in the wrong place at the wrong time; either way, it’s a nasty mix-up.

Deputies were actually looking for Jonathan Brown, a man accused of attempted murder. Brown had been seen at the Blueberry Hills complex and his motorcycle was parked across from Scott’s front door. Apparently, those signs were enough to assume Brown was in that apartment.

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Quoted by www.wesh.com, Herrell is standing by his deputies, explaining, “The bottom line is, you point a gun at a deputy sheriff or plice officer, you’re going to get shot.”

But killed? Shooting and killing a man are two very different things. Friends of Scott and other citizens believe the police reacted too quickly and too intensely, especially when they had no proof that they were confronting Brown. They made a risky decision and it was the wrong one.

Brown was arrested soon after in a nearby location and, along with another suspect, Anthony Rodriguez, was booked into Lake County Jail.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident. The deputy who shot Scott and the other two deputies who were with him are all on administrative leave.

Unfortunately, this incident will only give citizens more reasons to fear and avoid law enforcement. The police may be protecting us from criminals, but who’s protecting us from the police?

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