PORT ORANGE, Fla. — The Port Orange Police Department has released harrowing surveillance and body-camera footage documenting a fatal confrontation that left a 71-year-old woman dead after she opened fire inside a police station lobby.
The incident began when 71-year-old Linda Jean Croteau entered the Port Orange police station, visibly armed with a handgun. Surveillance video from the station’s interior captures the moment she walked into the lobby and discharged the weapon once.
Shortly after the shot was fired, Croteau exited the building into the parking area, where she was immediately confronted by responding officers. The released footage shows officers issuing clear commands for the woman to drop the weapon. According to police reports, Croteau refused to comply with these orders.
The situation escalated rapidly when an officer fired three shots, causing Croteau to fall to the ground. Despite being struck, the footage shows Croteau sitting back up and reaching toward the firearm. Following this movement, officers opened fire again, discharging approximately 10 additional rounds. Croteau was subsequently transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The scene was witnessed by those in the immediate vicinity, including Caleb Lemons, who was working across the street at the time. “She walked out of the front door like a zombie,” Lemons recounted to reporters.
As the investigation continues, family members are left searching for answers. Erik Croteau, the stepson of the deceased, spoke with WESH 2 by phone, describing his stepmother as a “wonderful person” who had been struggling significantly since the death of her husband this past August.
“We really have no idea why my stepmother would do what she did,” Erik Croteau said. “We talked with her the night before it happened, and she sounded fine. We were getting ready to move her to Georgia.”
The investigation into the officer-involved shooting is ongoing. The department has not yet released details regarding which internal or external agencies are leading the review of the use of force, or if the officers involved have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure in such cases.
The incident has shaken the local community as details of the woman’s personal struggles emerge against the backdrop of the violent encounter at the police station.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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