PORT ORANGE, Fla. — The Port Orange Police Department has identified the 71-year-old woman officers say opened fire inside the department lobby Thursday morning. Police Chief Manuel Marino identified the woman as Linda Croteau. Officers shot Croteau in the police department parking lot around 8:30 a.m., according to the chief.
Croteau was taken to a hospital, where she remains in stable condition. Police have not identified a motive for the shooting.
Multiple witnesses described seeing the shooting unfold at the Port Orange Police Department. Demetrius Pinkins said he arrived and saw officers with their guns drawn.
“Once we showed up and saw officers with their guns drawn, I was thinking somebody must be trying to get into the police station or something,” Pinkins said. Video shared by Pinkis shows officers running toward an armed woman in the parking lot.
Caleb Lemons, who was across the street, said he saw Croteau drop the gun.
“By the time she dropped it, she walked to the curb, she sat down, put her hands on her head and pretty much gave up at that point,” Lemons said. “After that, nothing but gunshots firing her way.”
We asked the chief to clarify if Croteau was still holding the firearm when officers confronted her.
“Uh, at this point, no. She was still holding the firearm when she was confronted by the officers,” Marino said.
Before Croteau reached the parking lot, Marino said she opened fire inside the police department lobby.
“At that point there is an officer-involved shooting,” Marino said.
Three Port Orange police officers were involved in the shooting, according to Marino. None of the officers were injured, and no civilian staff members were hurt, the chief said.
It remains unclear whether Croteau had any previous interactions with the Port Orange Police Department. Marino said it is too early in the investigation to determine whether she had previously had contact with the department.
The police department parking lot remained blocked off Thursday, about 10 hours after the shooting, as investigators continued processing the scene. The department lobby is expected to remain closed until Tuesday, according to the chief.
WFTV was the first on scene and first to alert viewers about the shooting online Thursday morning. WFTV has requested body camera video from the officers involved in the shooting. The footage will be reported on when it becomes available.
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