A Florida man allegedly wielding a machete was fatally shot by police late Saturday after he refused to drop his weapon, The Tampa Bay Times reported.
Tampa police received a call about a man threatening a relative with the machete and found Sidney T. Richardson IV in a room with his 17-year-old cousin, the Times reported. Police ordered Richardson to put down the machete and he allegedly refused, even after police used a taser.
According to a Tampa Police Department news release, officers feared for their safety and that of the female teenager. One officer fired his weapon, killing Richardson, according to the release. Neither the teen nor the officers were injured.
The officers were placed on paid administrative leave while the incident is under investigation, the Times reported.
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