ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orange County man will face several charges, including armed robbery, for taking a shopping cart-full of items from Walmart while displaying a knife, deputies said.
That man, Jason Anthony Beal, 48, was later shot by deputies after they confronted him about the theft, Sheriff John Mina said.
Mina said other efforts to subdue Beal, who he said had walked out of the Walmart while he “declared Martial Law,” did not work. That included a taser, which he said “did not have the desired effect.”
It was not clear if the taser malfunctioned or if the shot did not land as needed. Deputies said that would be part of an ongoing investigation into the shooting.
Beal was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Mina said he was wearing a ski mask and deputies found two knives near Beal after he was shot.
Mina also said Beal should not have been out on the street Sunday night. Beal was arrested for stabbing his roommate amid a dispute over their apartment’s cleanliness back in the fall.
Court records show Beal was released on his own recognizance after prosecutors failed to file charges within 33 days of his arrest.
Prosecutors notified the court in a form that they did not have enough evidence to charge Beal but did not describe what they were waiting for further or indicate if witnesses stopped cooperating.
“It’s disappointing,” Mina said.
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