A 33-year-old man, identified as Skyler Wentworth, has died after being shot by deputies from the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office in Florida. The incident occurred on Friday evening during a high-speed pursuit that led into Marion County.
According to the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), deputies attempted to stop Wentworth’s Mitsubishi SUV in the area of Hernando. However, Wentworth decided to flee, throwing a black bag from his vehicle in the process. Law enforcement later recovered the bag, which contained pressed pills that tested positive for fentanyl.
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Initially, deputies canceled the pursuit due to safety concerns after noticing a female passenger and a child in distress trying to exit the moving vehicle. However, when Wentworth slowed down to allow them to exit, the pursuit was re-initiated.
The chase continued into Marion County on State Road 200, where the Marion County Sheriff’s Office joined in. Eventually, an MCSO deputy was able to stop Wentworth’s vehicle using a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver. The pursuit came to an end when the SUV crashed into a wooden utility pole.
As Wentworth exited the vehicle with a rifle in hand, posing an immediate threat to the deputies and nearby citizens, the CCSO deputies quickly fired at him, striking him. Wentworth was then transported to a local medical facility, where he later died from his injuries.
CCSO Colonel Elena Vitt stated that Wentworth had an extensive criminal history related to drugs in Citrus County. She emphasized that while the deputies never want to resort to lethal force, they are prepared to do so if it means protecting others.
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The officer-involved shooting is currently under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Skyler Wentworth’s death serves as a tragic reminder of the dangers posed by high-speed pursuits and the potential risks faced by law enforcement officers in the line of duty.
