State Attorney clears deputy who shot Inverness man accused of killing his brother and taking a woman hostage

Inverness, Florida - On April 18, 2022, State Attorney Bill Gladsonor, with Florida's Fifth Judicial Circuit, notified Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast that his office had determined that Citrus County Deputy Daniel Elias was justified in the January 14, 2022 shooting of 29 year-old Daniel Arthur Redman, and his office would take no action in regard to the shooting, other than the continued prosecution of Mr. Redman.

Redman is accused of murdering his 19 year-old brother, among numerous other charges, which include breaking into nearby motor home of a 42 year-old woman at the intersection of E. Beck St. and N. Corbin Ave. in Inverness, Florida, battering her, taking her as a hostage, and using her as a shield when confronted by deputies.

During the hostage crisis, Deputy Elias fired a single round at Daniel Redman, from an agency issued rifle, when it appeared that Redman may possibly be reaching for a firearm. The round struck Redman's neck, paralyzing him.

On Feb. 4, Redman was indicted by a grand jury of charges of premeditated murder using a firearm, kidnapping, burglary with battery, shooting at an occupied dwelling, and being in possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Redman was formally arrested, Feb. 11, at the Reception and Medical Center (RMC) and transported to the adjacent Lake Butler Correctional Facility in Lake Butler, Florida (a secure medical facility and state prison).

Deputy Elias was placed on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), which is customary in a deputy-involved shooting.

At the time of the Jan. 14 incident, Redman had been out of prison for only five days, for the May 2019 aggravated battery of a man at a relative's home in the 3800 block of E. Dawson Dr. in Inverness - which is the same location where the Jan. 14 incident began.

During the day of Jan. 14, Redman had displayed unusual behavior while at the home, that his brother and the other relative believed was due to drug use, and when the relatives mentioned calling authorities to use the *Baker Act (see paragraph below) to obtain help for him, Redman took his relatives' cell phones and armed himself with a firearm that was inside the home.

*The Baker Act is a Florida law that provides emergency mental health services and temporary detention for people who are impaired and unable to determine their need for help.

Redman's brother then fled from the relative's home, to a neighboring home, and was shot from about three feet away, multiple times from behind, by Daniel Redman, while he frantically knocked on the neighbor's door. When the neighbor would not allow Daniel Redman entry into the home, 911 was contacted, shortly after 9:00 pm. Redman's brother was able to tell responding deputies that his brother had shot him. Redman's brother was air-lifted to a Marion County, Florida hospital where he was pronounced deceased from his injuries.

Daniel Redman then fled to the nearby motor home, where he was tracked by deputies Anthony Amato and his K9 partner, Daniel Elias and David Flores. The deputies found that the front door had been pried open. They entered the home and found Redman, clutching his hostage in a chokehold, in a back bedroom. Redman eventually released the hostage, and she fled into a bathroom. When Redman did not comply with the deputies - by reaching under a blanket instead of showing his hands - Deputy Elias fired the single shot which struck Mr. Redman. The deputies rendered first aid until emergency medical services arrived and transported Redman to a hospital in critical condition.