The incident began with a call about domestic violence, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office said.

CRYSTAL SPRINGS – A Pasco man died Thursday (July 13) after he was shot by deputies when he lunged at them with a knife, according to the Pasco Sheriff’s Office.

Stephen Steele, 56, died from his wounds at a local hospital. Mr. Steele had a violent criminal history in and outside Florida, deputies said. There had been two other calls for service connected with Mr. Steele at the Crystal Springs address. One was for grand theft and the other was for threats without violence.

Deputies were called to Higginson Road in Crystal Springs about 7:47 p.m. in connection with an ongoing domestic domestic dispute. The caller said her son was making threats and told her if she called police he would “slice four or five of them before they could taser him.” The caller said her son had assaulted his girlfriend.

When deputies arrived, they said Mr. Steele left the house and ran into an RV camper beside the home. He barricaded himself inside the RV camper and through a window indicated he planned to cut himself and made cutting motions along his throat.

Deputies, who said they were acting out of concern for Mr. Steele’s safety, planned to enter the camper. Mr. Steele opened the door and told deputies they could come in as he retreated fron the camper door.

As deputies approached, they said Mr. Steele lunged at them as they prepared to enter, but before they went inside. He was brandishing a knife, which caused one of the deputies to shoot him. The shooting happened about 8:19 p.m.

For information about the Pasco sheriff, go to pascosheriff.com.

Pasco Sheriff | Deputy-Involved Shooting | Crime | Domestic Battery | Stephen Steele | Tampa Bay News | TB Reporter

#PascoSheriff #DeputyInvolvedShooting #Crime #DomesticBattery #StephenSteele #TampaBayNews #TBReporter