Man shot by Orange County deputy near Florida Mall dies
ORLANDO, Fla. - A man shot by an Orange County deputy on Friday near The Florida Mall has died, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
Salaythis Melvin, 22, succumbed to his injuries while at Orlando Regional Medical Center.
The incident happened around noon in a "vacant" area of the parking lot outside Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Before the shooting, deputies had approached a group of men, one of whom was believed to be a convicted felon suspected of possessing a gun and also a person of interest in a triple shooting in Pine Hills last month.
"Our deputies made contact with the group of four people. One of the persons in the group was wanted for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and also a person of interest in a shooting three weeks ago," Sheriff Mina explained.
The man, later identified as Melvin, fled on foot and a deputy pursued. When the deputy caught up with Melvin, a confrontation of some sort ensued and the deputy fired at Melvin. Sheriff Mina did not offer details as to what led to the shooting or the extent of Melvin's injuries but said the case is under review.
“Everyone's being questioned right now, and we're going to sort out what their ties to any other crimes are at this point," the sheriff said
Melvin was taken to ORMC where he underwent surgery but was pronounced deceased on Saturday afternoon.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is investigating the shooting and will turn over its findings to the State Attorney’s Office. Once that process is completed, the Sheriff's Office will conduct its own internal investigation. The deputy involved is on temporary, paid administrative leave pending the FDLE findings.