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Palm Beach deputy fatally shoots man
Associated Press
Published February 20, 2006
JUPITER - A 29-year-old man was shot to death by a veteran Palm Beach County sheriff's deputy as he reached toward his waistband for what deputies thought was a gun, officials said.
The shooting occurred Friday night as deputies responded to a 911 call of a juvenile with a weapon. Deputies were led to a car where Chester Otis Washington became verbally aggressive toward the deputies, sheriff's spokeswoman Teri Barbera said.
Washington was hit first with a Taser stun gun, but it did not subdue him. He made a movement toward his waistband when he was shot by a sheriff's sergeant who saw a shiny object, which turned out to be a Swiss Army knife, Barbera said.
The identity of the sergeant who shot Washington was withheld. He was placed on administrative leave pending investigation of the shooting.
Washington had a lengthy criminal record. He was arrested eight times and sentenced to more than three years in prison and jail, according to state records.
His record included multiple convictions for resisting an officer, twice with violence. Twice he was charged with battery on an officer.
[Last modified February 20, 2006, 04:00:22]
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