A man who had a mobile meth lab was shot by police in Daytona Beach Shores on Tuesday after he threatened an officer with a knife, police said.
Frank Pavano, 49, was shot in the shoulder after he charged at an officer with a knife on Poinsettia Road in a neighborhood off Atlantic Avenue, in Daytona Beach Shores, police said.
“Things like this happen," began Daytona Beach Shores Public Safety Director Stephan Dembinsky.
"You don’t ever want your officers involved in shootings. But thank goodness he wasn’t hurt, nobody was hurt but the subject and it’s just a sad day when this kind of thing is going on every day around here," Dembinsky continued.
Pavano was treated and released from the hospital. He was then taken to the Volusia County Branch Jail.
Dembinsky said it was a routine stop that turned into the police involved shooting.
Dembinsky said one of his officers was working on a pedestrian crossing task force, when she kept seeing 49-year-old Frank Pavano riding around on a bike.
Later on Tuesday afternoon, she saw Pavano riding his bike again, but this time with a backpack.
Dembinsky said the Daytona Beach Shores Police Department has seen a lot of car break-ins in the area recently, so the officer talked to Pavano and soon realized, the 49-year-old had three outstanding felony warrants, including two for child molestation.
Soon after, investigators said the suspect ran away and while being chased he threw away his backpack, inside it police shared, a mobile meth lab.
“It was the chemicals. It is a very dangerous situation. They’ve actually had to block off an area of this neighborhood. It’s explosive," Dembinsky said.
However, as the chase continued, a second officer nearly caught up to Pavano. That’s when Dembinsky said the suspect threatened the officer.
“He’s yelling at him to stop. He turns with a knife and starts coming at my officer," Dembinksy said. "The officer told him numerous times to stop, he wouldn’t stop, the officer shot striking the subject, I believe he struck him in the shoulder. The subject was arrested, taken to the hospital and has since been released and is on his way to jail."
In addition to the mobile meth lab charge, Pavano had three active felony warrants, including two for child molestation of a victim younger than 12 years old, police said.
Pavano will also likely face charges for fleeing an officer and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.
The officer who shot the suspect is on paid administrative leave. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting.