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METRO
A St. Cloud police officer shot and killed a man today after he stabbed a 9-year-old girl.
At about 12:45 p.m., two 911 calls were made to the St. Cloud Police Department about the violent attack and stabbing of the 9-year-old victim in the area of Lakeshore Boulevard and Georgia Avenue, said Police Chief Pete Gauntlett.
When officers arrived on scene, a witness reported seeing a suspect acting very erratically running on foot with visible wounds. He had run through several backyards and burglarized an RV.
At 12:50 p.m., police made contact with the suspect matching the description of the man. A confrontation then ensued with one of the officers.
“He subsequently used deadly force and shot the suspect,” Gauntlett said.
Paramedics were called to work on the suspect, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, Gauntlett added.
An investigation revealed that the young victim was driven to St. Cloud Medical Center and then transported to Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando in critical condition. She suffered multiple fractures to her face and stab wounds to her upper body and face, Gauntlett said.
She has since been upgraded to stable condition.
