Deputy Shoots, Kills 81-Year-Old Florida Woman

SUMTER COUNTY, Florida -  A knife-wielding 81-year-old Florida woman died after being shot by a Sumter County Sheriff’s deputy.

According to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, 911 dispatchers received a call located in the Rails End Mobile Home Park from Janet Sours who was in distress and having a mental episode just after 11 p.m. on January 22, 2024.

Sours initially requested rescue personnel to respond to her residence and stated “people were dying over here” before she hung up shortly thereafter. 

Due to the limited information provided by the complainant, rescue personnel staged in the area until the scene could be secured by deputy sheriffs. 

Deputies arrived at the scene and were talking with Sours to determine if her complaint was real or if she was having a mental episode. 

Deputies say that Sours then pulled a knife from behind her back and lunged at the deputy in an attempt to stab him. 

That's when the deputy took evasive action, backing up while simultaneously drawing his service weapon and shot Sours. 

Awaiting rescue personnel then started performing life-saving measures on Sours. 

She was later transported to the Ocala Regional Medical Center where she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased.

Special agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrived on scene and took over the investigation which is still ongoing 

Sours' next-of-kin was notified.