Bodycam footage sheds light on the fatal shooting of 45-year-old Bradd Sweeny by St. Johns County sheriff’s deputies early Wednesday morning, showing the armed man initially complying with commands before making a sudden move for his gun.
The video begins with Sweeny walking down the middle of the street, a handgun in his right hand, as deputies arrive around 5:40 a.m.
The deputies were responding to a 911 call from a woman who reported a suspicious person in her backyard, whom she believed to be a neighbor with whom she had argued earlier in the day.
As deputies pull up, they shout commands for Sweeny to drop the weapon. After several tense seconds, he lowers the handgun and places it on the pavement.
Moments later, Sweeny suddenly leans forward, reaching toward the weapon. Both deputies fire their service pistols, striking him. The officers began life-saving measures, but Sweeny was pronounced dead at the scene.
Skip Cole, the Sheriff’s Office’s director of criminal investigations, confirmed both deputies were uninjured.
They have been placed on administrative leave as the incident is formally investigated.
Sheriff’s officials described Sweeny as “well known in the neighborhood,” noting at least a dozen calls for service involving him in the last five months. Neighbors interviewed at the scene said his behavior had drawn repeated concern.
Records show that Sweeny had a lengthy criminal history, including disorderly conduct and battery cases, as well as numerous domestic incidents.
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