FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A man who had been evicted from a St. Lucie County home was shot by a "highly decorated" deputy after pointing a gun at him, Sheriff Keith Pearson said Thursday.
The deputy-involved shooting happened just before 6 p.m. Wednesday at a home at the Indian Pines condo complex on Indrio Road.
Pearson said that earlier in the day, at about 1:30 p.m., deputies served a court-ordered eviction at the home and removed George Jeffrey Evans, 63, from the property.
According to deputies, the owner of the unit where Evans was staying was acquired through a foreclosure sale last year.
WATCH: Sheriff discusses deputy-involved shooting
Deputies said the owner had been trying to evict Evans for several months.
A judge issued a final eviction notice Monday, and deputies said Evans left Wednesday afternoon.
The owners of the home took possession of the property and changed the locks.
However, Pearson said Evans returned later that night and broke in through a back door.
Deputies went to the home at about 6 p.m. and told Evans he had to leave. That's when he pointed a gun at them, according to Pearson.
"The deputies yelled out to Evans to drop the firearm multiple times," Pearson said. "They took a position of cover. He took a position of cover. And then he stepped out from cover, again pointing the firearm at the deputies, where one round was fired, striking Evans."
Evans was taken to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce, where he's in stable condition and under guarded watch.
The shooting is being reviewed, but Pearson believes the review will show the deputies' actions were justified.
"Ultimately, this could have been avoided had Evans complied with the court order he was served with earlier in the day evicting him from the residence," Pearson said. "Instead of complying with the court order, Evans chose to point a firearm at our deputies. And the only thing to expect doing that is to be shot."
The sheriff's office said the suspect did not have a criminal record that they could find.
"He did have an RPO (risk protection order) earlier, I think in 2019, so there are some signs there have been some issues in the past," Capt. Troy Norman said.
The sheriff said the investigation should reveal why Evans allegedly came back to break into the condo and then pointed a firearm at deputies.
Evans is facing several charges including three counts of assaulting a law enforcement officer and armed burglary.
Pearson said Evans faces those charges because three deputies were in the line of fire when the suspect allegedly pointed his gun.
No deputies were injured.
