One woman is dead after Indian River County deputies responded to a report of a person threatening suicide Wednesday night.
At a Thursday morning news conference Indian River County Sheriff Deryl Loar said Susan Teel, 62, came at a deputy with a butcher knife.
"The deputy did exactly what he's trained to do, which is use deadly force in these cases," said Sheriff Loar.
The incident happened in the 600 block of Carriage Lake Way in suburban Vero Beach after a 911 caller reported a person threatening suicide.
"Prior to 8 o'clock, the husband discovered his wife in the bathtub cutting her wrist with a razor knife," Sheriff Loar said.
He identified the husband as Dr. Dudley Teel.
A deputy arrived a short time later and was told by Dr. Teel that his wife was upstairs in the master bedroom attempting to kill herself, the sheriff's office said.
"As the deputy went up the stairs and approached the bedroom he encountered the subject that was attempting to kill him with a large butcher knife," Sheriff Loar said. "The deputy, in an enclosed area, did exactly what he was trained. He used deadly force. It's an unfortunate situation all the way around."
No one else was injured at the scene.
Sheriff says woman came at deputy with butcher knife before shooting her. Susan Teel, wife of Dr. Dudley Teel killed @WPTV@FOX29WFLXpic.twitter.com/F1NbHnllPq
— Andrew Ruiz (@AndrewRuizWPTV) July 27, 2017
The 19th Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office and detectives are investigating the case which will be presented to a grand jury.
Dr. Teel is an emergency is an emergency medicine doctor in Sebastiaon. His co-workers are saddened by his loss. "I know Dr. Teel and he's a very sweet doctor, very caring, very friendly, and just so sweet," said Donna Pearce, a volunteer at Sebastian River Medical Center. "I feel so bad that this has happened to him."
The deputy, a five-year-veteran, has been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard practice for any deputy involved in deadly-force incidents. The sheriff identified him as Deputy Jonathan Lozada.
.@IRCSheriff says deputies have responded to house 24 times for various issues, involving different family members pic.twitter.com/lbOcFyZJwn
— Andrew Ruiz (@AndrewRuizWPTV) July 27, 2017