A Titusville man was shot and hospitalized after confronting officers with a long gun during a well-being check, police say.
Officers responded around 11 p.m. Oct. 13 to a home in the 1100 block of Cheney Highway — also known as State Road 50
According to a news release, the Titusville Police Department reports that Timmy Eady, 42, of Titusville, was making concerning statements at the location. When officers arrived and attempted to make contact at the front door, Eady answered while armed with a long gun. One officer discharged a single round, striking Eady in the shoulder area.
Following the shooting, Eady barricaded himself inside the home. Officers reestablished communication with Eady, who ultimately surrendered peacefully without further incident. Officers immediately began lifesaving efforts on scene, police said.
Eady was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No officers were injured. He was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of resisting an officer with violence. He was medically cleared at the hospital and transported to the Brevard County Jail with no bond status.
Investigators also recovered multiple firearms from inside the residence.
“The Titusville Police Department is committed to transparency during these critical incidents,” said Interim Chief Wright. “We understand the importance of quick and accurate information to our community, and we will provide updates as soon as they become available.”
During a news conference on Thursday, Interim Chief of Police Tyler Wright said this was not the first interaction between Eady and Titusville police. Wright said officers had documented four contacts with the man at his residence over the past year, at least two of which involved similar welfare check circumstances.
The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an independent investigation into the officer-involved shooting.
“Everything I’ve seen at this point — obviously it’s still an open investigation — but the officer that took action did so to save the life of another officer that was directly in the line of fire,” Sheriff Wayne Ivey said in the Thursday news conference. “Everything at this point appears that the shooting was not only justified, but it was necessary to protect one of our officers.”