ST. AUGUSTINE, FL — Early Wednesday morning, a 45-year-old man was fatally shot by St. Johns County deputies following a confrontation in South St. Augustine.
At 5:42 a.m. on September 10, the St. Johns Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from a resident on 1st Street near Brainard Drive reporting that her neighbor, later identified as Bradd Sweeny, was in her backyard. The caller told authorities she had previously confronted Sweeny the day before and expressed concern about his presence in her yard during the early hours.
Deputies arrived within minutes and encountered Sweeny in the street, armed with a handgun. According to the sheriff’s office, deputies commanded Sweeny to put the weapon down. He initially complied but immediately picked it back up, prompting deputies to discharge their firearms. Sweeny was given immediate medical aid but was pronounced dead at the scene. The firearm in his possession contained a live round chambered.
Body-worn cameras and nearby Ring video surveillance captured the incident. Investigation revealed that Sweeny had a history of trespassing and neighborhood altercations over the past several months.
The deputies involved, Joseph Mailloux, who has served four years with the SJSO, and Kristapher James, who has six years of service, were unharmed. Both have been placed on administrative leave pending the ongoing investigation.
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