Sarasota eviction notice leads to fatal deputy-involved shooting

UPDATED April 4 at 2 p.m. with name of victim, with correct age.

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - A man shot and killed April 1 while being evicted from his Sarasota condo by a Sarasota County Sheriff’s deputy has been identified.

Jeremiah Evans, 65, was shot and killed at the Palm Place condominiums at 755 South Palm Ave. Friday morning. April 1 by a Sarasota County sheriff’s deputy serving an eviction notice at a downtown condo, the sheriff’s office said.

Sheriff’s office spokeswoman Kaitlyn Perez said Evans had lived with the condo’s owner for 11 years. The owner died in September 2021. Evans was not listed on the lease, had not paid rent since September but refused to move out, she said.

The sheriff’s office, which handles all civil process paperwork, in Sarasota County, had attempted to serve notice the day but no one answered the door. The deputies posted an eviction notice of the front door of the unit.

On Friday morning, 24 hours after the notice was posted, three deputies, along with the attorney for the family of the deceased owner, arrived to evict Evans.

With a key supplied by the attorney, the deputies entered the unit and announced themselves, Perez said. The deputies found Evans inside, armed with a knife.

Perez said Evans ignored deputies’ orders and moved toward them. One deputy deployed his Taser in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. The Taser failed to subdue Evans and he lunged forward again. A second deputy fired her duty weapon once, hitting Evans. Deputies immediately rendered first aid and CPR, but he died at the scene.

The deputy who shot Evans was placed on paid administrative leave, in accordance with department policy.

The sheriff’s office conducts its own officer-involved shooting investigations which are led by a group of senior detectives. The results of these investigations will then be reviewed by the State Attorney’s Office.