Police respond to armed confrontation in Altamonte Springs, man faces assault on an officer charges

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ORLANDO, Fla. - A man is facing charges after an armed confrontation with law enforcement on Christmas morning. 

Officers from the Altamonte Springs Police Department responded to a call at approximately 10:43 a.m. on the 700 block of Florida Blvd., where a family member requested police assistance to retrieve Christmas gifts from the residence.

According to authorities, the caller reported that her husband, Stephen Scherer, had exhibited concerning behavior the previous night. 

Although family members believed Scherer was not in the house, officers discovered he had locked himself in a bedroom. 

Law enforcement instructed the family member to leave the home and began negotiating with Scherer to come outside.

During the encounter, Scherer reportedly broke a window while holding a handgun and advanced toward family members standing outside. 

Officers issued repeated commands for him to drop the weapon, and a secondary officer deployed a Taser in an effort to de-escalate the situation. 

Despite these attempts, police say Scherer ignored commands and turned toward his wife while raising the firearm. 

In response, an officer and a Seminole County Sheriff’s deputy discharged their weapons.

Scherer was provided immediate medical aid by officers and transported to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries. 

He is now facing a charge of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.

The Altamonte Springs Police Department has requested the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate the incident. 

The officer involved has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard protocol in officer-involved shootings.

This incident is still under investigation.