Jacksonville sheriff’s SWAT officers shot and killed 44-year-old Calixto Bavenutti after he failed to comply and fired shots outside his home, causing concern among neighbors.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office SWAT officers shot and killed a man early Wednesday morning. According to the agency, he did not follow officers’ commands and caused alarm by firing 8-10 shots at his home before police arrived.
JSO Chief Alan Parker mentioned that around 8 p.m. on Tuesday, two residents in the 7700 block of Lenox Avenue contacted the sheriff’s office after hearing gunfire.
When officers arrived on scene, Parker said the man, identified as 44-year-old Calixto Bavenutti, got into a verbal altercation with officers and went inside his home.
Parker said Bavenutti was holding a gun while yelling at officers, but never pointed it at them at this time.
According to Parker, Bavenutti “definitely wouldn’t comply” with officers’ orders and continued to go back inside home.
Parker said officers then requested a SWAT team based on the circumstances unfolding.
When the SWAT unit arrived, Parker said Bavenutti shot his gun once.
“We don’t know at this time if he shot at SWAT or not, that’s part of the investigation, but he did fire one round when they got on scene,” said Parker.
Parker said SWAT talked to Bavenutti through a megaphone for a couple of hours, as the 44-year-old kept walking “in an out” of his house with his gun.
Parker said Bavenutti then pointed his gun at SWAT several times, but noted that SWAT officers were in “positions of cover.”
Then at an unknown time, Parker said Bavenutti came out his home and went to a neighbor’s home, all while Parker said he still wasn’t complying with officers’ commands.
Parker said officers told Bavenutti to stop and drop his gun, and when he didn’t, they shot him as he kept walking up to the neighbor’s home.
The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department then arrived on scene and pronounced Bavenutti dead.
“If we get to a point where we have to use deadly force, it’s gonna be because it’s necessary and it had to be done at that point,” Sheriff T.K. Waters said. “And this is the situation that we were put in tonight. That gentleman could not be allowed to enter into another residence, we cannot allow him to take a hostage.”
Parker said according to the man’s family, he showed signs of schizophrenia, although he has not been diagnosed with the illness.
Parker said the family also told JSO he’s been “trying to self-medicate with Xanax, meth and alcohol.”
“Today, apparently was set him off was he was upset he couldn’t get any meth or Xanax today, so he kinda went off, and it looks like he started drinking and everything escalated throughout the day.”
This shooting marks JSO’s 9th officer-involving shooting of 2025, according to Parker.
