Lakeland, Fla. (970 WFLA) - Police shot and killed a Lakeland man whom they say had pointed a shotgun at them after a two-hour standoff Thursday night. Officers had responded to Jerry Roach's house at 726 West Crescent Dr. after neighbors complained that he had fired a gun and pointed it at them.
When officers arrived, they say that Roach, 71, barricaded himself inside his house. Police evacuated neighboring homes and tried to negotiate with Roach, but say that Roach told them he was coming out with his shotgun, and that police would have to kill him. Roach came out and advanced on six officers with his gun, and all six of them fired at them, said Lakeland Police Sgt. Gary Gross. Roach later died at a hospital. None of the officers suffered injury.
The dispute between Roach and his neighbors was racial in nature, Gross said. Roach is white and the neighbors are black, and Gross said that Roach had yelled racial slurs at them before threatening them with a gun.
Roach was no stranger to police, with officers having to answer at least eight calls to his home in the last year. Roach was a convicted felon who was not legally allowed to own a gun, Gross said. He had an arrest record that included battery on an officer, resisting arrest with violence and DUI.
The following officers were involved in the shooting:
Officer Camilo Almeida, date of hire: 10/12/15
Officer Nick Harrison, date of hire: 10/12/15
Officer Travis Miller, date of hire: 9/15/14
Officer Sean Mulderrig, date of hire: 8/8/16
Officer Raj Patel, date of hire: 3/6/17
Officer John Renew, date of hire: 9/15/14