Deputy fatally shoots man who had woman at knifepoint inside home, HCSO says

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A deputy shot and killed a man who called 911 and threatened to kill his neighbor Thursday night, officials said.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said they received a 911 call about a dispute between neighbors around 9 p.m. The caller, later identified as Jason Douglas Paul, 47, claimed his neighbor had attacked him.

When deputies arrived, they made contact with Paul, who they said was acting erratically and threatening to kill his neighbor.

According to HCSO, Paul continued to make threats as deputies attempted to deescalate the situation and Baker acted upon him. He then entered his home and refused to come out.

Police said they then saw Paul through a window holding a knife and heard a woman screaming. Paul took the woman at knifepoint to a back bedroom, leading officers to break a window and enter the house.

When they went to the back bedroom, officers said they ordered Paul to put the knife down several times, but he refused. As a result, Deputy John Howes, 30, shot Paul.

According to HCSO, deputies assisted Paul until EMS arrived and took him to St. Joseph Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“Our deputies sprung into action when confronted with a situation where a person’s life was in immediate danger,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Our deputies are trained to protect innocent lives, and that’s what they did.”

Howes has been with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office since February 2024 and has never used force with the HCSO, officials said. Body camera video will be released as soon as it becomes available.

The FDLE is leading the investigation.