Sebastian police have identified the man killed in an officer-involved shooting as 41-year-old Keaton Daucher, a Sebastian resident who died at the scene after two officers opened fire on him at his home on Joy Haven Drive. The shooting happened around 9:25 p.m. on Tuesday, after officers responded to a noise complaint and encountered Daucher outside the residence carrying a shotgun.
According to a report from WPEC/CBS12, officers arrived at 549 Joy Haven Drive about one minute after being dispatched to the call. Someone had reported hearing yelling and obscenities coming from inside the home, and police say they could hear a man yelling once they arrived. Two officers then spoke with a female resident identified as Daucher's mother before Daucher came out of the home carrying a shotgun. The two officers fired their service weapons, and Daucher died at the scene.
A third officer arrived after the shooting and provided lifesaving aid, per the station's report. Neither of the two officers nor Daucher's mother was injured in the incident, and the outlet's report notes that the original noise complaint had not mentioned any weapon or armed person on scene.
Investigators Say Several Details Remain Unclear
Police had previously responded to the home before Tuesday night's shooting, though the extent of that prior contact was not detailed in the report. The station's account also notes that Sebastian's police chief could not say how many shots officers fired, whether Daucher actually fired the shotgun, whether the weapon was loaded, or what type of shotgun it was.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now investigating the shooting, with assistance from the Indian River County Sheriff's Office and the State Attorney's Office. As is standard procedure after an officer-involved shooting, the two officers involved have been placed on paid administrative leave while the investigation continues, the same report indicates.
Victim Advocates Assisting Daucher's Mother
Victim advocates were on scene Tuesday night and have been helping Daucher's mother in the aftermath of the shooting, according to the report. No further details about the family's condition or statements have been made public.
A search-result snippet from florida.arrests.org lists a Keaton Eric Daucher at the same Joy Haven Drive address in a November 2020 record involving the Sebastian Police Department, though that information comes from an unverified arrest-record listing and has not been independently confirmed.
CBS12 News has said it plans to provide updates on the investigation as they become available. No additional information about the shooting, including body-camera footage or an official FDLE release, had been made public as of Friday.
