On Thursday afternoon, a 20-year-old man named Matthew Thomas Koutouzis Wagner was shot by the Kissimmee Police Department after he pointed what appeared to be a rifle at officers outside a shopping center on West Vine Street. As reported by FOX 35 Orlando, the officers responded to the scene following alerts from concerned bystanders.
The confrontation occurred near U.S. Highway 192 and Bass Road where Wagner allegedly refused to comply with multiple commands to put down the gun. According to Kissimmee Police Chief Charles "Chuck" Broadway, with a photo of the weapon held up as evidence, it was revealed that Wagner's firearm was a "Daisy Christmas Wish Red Ryder" BB gun highly representative of a real gun. Broadway explained that despite the officers' repeated attempts to de-escalate the situation, Wagner proceeded to point the imitation rifle at them, according to an interview FOX 35 Orlando. After refusing the commands, an officer shot Wagner who was then transported to a hospital in an unknown condition.
All three of the responding officers have been placed on paid administrative leave, which aligns with standard protocol. Alongside this measure, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) will conduct a thorough investigation into the officer-involved shooting, as stated by Chief Broadway during a news conference. The bodycam footage from the incident remains under review by the FDLE, according to information obtained by FOX 35 Orlando.
Witnesses report Wagner was seen walking earlier with the BB gun, aiming it skyward, as if tracking birds or squirrels. "I seen a young man with a gun in his hand like this and it looked like he was looking up at the trees," Dexter Brown told WESH about the moments before the police arrived. The realistic appearance of Wagner's BB gun fostered an atmosphere thick with trepidation among those shopping, echoing a sentiment expressed by another witness, Gianna Mendez, who admitted to feeling scared given the uncertainty surrounding the man's actions.
