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Thomas Michael Carney

Age : 28

Gender : Male

Race : White

Date : 08/28/2023

Location : 22nd Street SW and Harlow Avenue South

City : Lehigh Acres

County : Lee

State : Florida

Agency : Lee County Sheriff’s Office

Officer(s) :Not disclosed

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police during domestic violence response and armed search

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/28/2023, Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the area of 22nd Street SW and Harlow Avenue South in Lehigh Acres concerning a reported domestic disturbance involving Thomas Carney, 28. According to the Sheriff’s Office, deputies investigated the initial call but determined at that time that no crime had occurred.
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Deputies left following the initial investigation. Several hours later, the Sheriff’s Office received another call concerning Carney. According to LCSO, deputies were told that Carney had left the area while armed with a gun. Deputies returned and began searching for him.
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Deputies subsequently located Carney in the neighborhood. According to the Sheriff’s Office, Carney allegedly fired a gun at the deputies during the encounter. One deputy was struck by gunfire in his ballistic vest.
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Multiple deputies returned fire, striking Carney. He died from the police gunfire. The deputy struck in the ballistic vest survived.
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The fatal shooting triggered a significant administrative response within the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Six deputies involved in the encounter were placed on paid administrative leave following Carney’s death while the shooting was investigated.
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The case remained under prosecutorial review months after the shooting. Reporting in January 2024 identified Carney’s death as one of three 2023 Lee County law-enforcement deaths that prosecutors were still reviewing.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Six Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies were placed on paid administrative leave following the fatal shooting of Carney. The individual deputies who fired during the encounter were not identified by name in the public reporting located for this update.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://nbc-2.com/news/crime/2023/08/28/one-dead-in-officer-involved-shooting-in-lehigh-acres/
https://www.fox4now.com/news/local-news/lee-county/lee-county-sheriffs-office-investigating-deputy-shooting-in-lehigh-acres
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/652349-sunburn-the-morning-read-of-whats-hot-in-florida-politics-1-12-24/