Shawn Joseph Pearce of Cleveland, Tennessee was shot and killed on Wednesday afternoon, January 18, 2023, at the Chipley, Florida Walmart on Hwy 77 at Interstate 10.
FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) is investigating the incident, which left Pearce dead and two Chipley Police Department officers on Administrative Leave, which is a normal part of the process when an incident results in an officer shooting.
44-year-old Pearce reportedly started an altercation with a school bus driver on Brickyard Road and Hwy 77 in Chipley, then proceeded to the Walmart location where he had additional altercations with Walmart shoppers.
Upon arrival of Chipley PD personnel, Pearce was able to take the taser from one of the officers, who then fired upon Pearce, resulting in injuries to which he succumbed later on that day at Northwest Florida Community Hospital.
Chipley Police Chief Scott Thompson has indicated that there is an internal CPD investigation mirroring the FDLE investigation.
