Titusville officer shoots man at well-being check after police say he came to the door with a long gun

A Titusville police officer shot a 42-year-old man during a late-night well-being check on Cheney Highway this week after, police say, the man answered the door holding a long gun.

Timmy Eady of Titusville was shot once in the shoulder around 11 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, at a home in the 1100 block of Cheney Highway, according to the Titusville Police Department. His injury was not life-threatening. Jail records show he is charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of resisting an officer with violence. Eady is presumed innocent; the account below comes from police and sheriff’s officials.

The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an independent investigation, which is standard when an officer fires. Sheriff Wayne Ivey said it will be completed and turned over to the State Attorney’s Office within 30 days.

What police say happened

A family member called police to report what Interim Police Chief Tyler Wright called “disturbing statements” and suicidal ideation, Florida Today reported. Officers arrived around 11:02 p.m., according to Talk of Titusville.

“He immediately opened the door armed with a long gun. He was armed in a low ready stance, a concerning stance that was threatening to our officers,” Wright said at a news conference Thursday. He said Eady refused multiple commands to drop the weapon. One officer fired a single round, hitting Eady in the shoulder area.

Eady went back inside and barricaded himself, then called 911 to say he had been shot, Wright said. After about 20 minutes of negotiation, he surrendered. Officers gave first aid until paramedics arrived, and he was taken to a hospital. No officers were hurt.

Officials said a search of the home turned up eight firearms, four long guns and four handguns, Talk of Titusville reported.

‘Not the first interaction’

“Four times in the past year we’ve had interactions with him at his residence in reference to his well-being, but this night Mr. Eady’s actions are what prompted this response from our officers,” Wright said.

Ivey described the balance officers face on calls like this. “When we go there, we’re looking to render assistance. We’ve gotten a call from a family member, a concerned person, and we’re looking to render that assistance. We also are looking to make sure our deputies and our officers go home to their families as well. So there’s that very, very strict balance that we’re trying to find,” he said, according to WESH.

Ivey also gave an early assessment. “Everything I’ve seen at this point — obviously it’s still an open investigation — but the officer that took action did so to save the life of another officer that was directly in the line of fire,” he said, according to News 6. “Everything at this point appears that the shooting was not only justified, but it was necessary to protect one of our officers.” That is a preliminary view. The sheriff’s investigation is still open, and the State Attorney’s Office will review it.

The officer who fired has not been publicly identified, and police have not said whether the officer is on leave.

The video

On Thursday, officials said body-camera video could not yet be released because it is part of the investigation, and Ivey said the footage shows Eady pointing his weapon directly at officers, Florida Today reported. On Friday, Talk of Titusville reported that the department had posted footage and photos on its Facebook page.

Charges and bond

Eady was first booked into the Brevard County Jail with no bond. He is now held on a $15,000 bond: $5,000 on each aggravated assault count and $5,000 on the resisting charge, according to jail records. His next court date is Nov. 10. It isn’t known whether he has an attorney.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7.