STARKE, Fla. — A man who earlier in the day had made verbal threats to a credit union and later appeared at a branch with a gun has been shot dead by police.
The Bradford County Sheriff’s Office said its deputies responded to the home of 39-year-old Michael Crawford’s father on NW CR 225, across from Northside Baptist Church, around 7 p.m.
The police said they were attempting to make contact with Crawford after he was accused of making verbal threats to Florida Credit Union’s call center. The next afternoon he allegedly entered one of the credit union’s locations in Starke, Fla. with a visible handgun.
According to the BCSO, a family member had reported he had been acting abnormally recently.
Shot by Multiple Deputies
BCSO said that when deputies arrived and attempted to call him outside, Crawford exited the home with two long guns. Despite attempts by deputies to defuse the situation, BCSO said he pointed the guns “in a threatening manner” before being shot by multiple deputies, the sheriff’s office said.
Crawford died on scene.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now investigating at the request of Sheriff Gordon Smith.
Man Charged With Attempting to Set People on Fire
Separately, in Gastonia, N.C.,a man has been arrested after allegedly pouring gas on two people and lighting them on fire in the parking lot of a branch State Employees Credit Union.
Gastonia police were called around 3 a.m. on July 20 to the CU’s branch, where police said Randolph Gilchrist III was involved in an ongoing dispute with two unhoused people.
Gilchrist allegedly threw gasoline on the two and lit them on fire, according to reports.
Gilchrist was arrested and charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, according to jail records. He was issued a $50,000 bond.
