SEBASTIAN — Police released the names of two officers who fatally shot a man who came out of his home with a firearm nearly two weeks ago following a disturbance.
Sebastian police on Tuesday identified the officers as Sgt. Bryan Melius and Cpl. Devin Keskinen. Both officers remained on paid administrative leave, said Tim Wood, interim police chief with the Sebastian Police Department.
The officers were not injured. Melius has worked at the agency since January 2017, and Keskinen since November 2020, according to police.
It was unclear if the man who emerged from the home, identified by police as 41-year-old Keaton Eric Daucher, fired at the officers or pointed his gun toward them. Daucher lived at the residence with his 74-year-old mother, reports show.
Police received a complaint about a loud noise at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17. The caller reported hearing a man yelling and cursing from a home in the 500 block of Joy Haven Drive, west of Barber Street and south of Sebastian Boulevard, reports show.
“A male could be heard saying, ‘(expletive) you, (expletive) you,'” an officer said in the heavily-redacted incident report.
Melius and Keskinen arrived on scene about 9:30 p.m. Daucher and his mother were the only people home at the time of the incident, Wood previously said.
Melius and Keskinen spoke with the mother. The officers heard a man’s voice yelling from inside the residence.
Daucher came out of the home about 9:33 p.m. carrying a shotgun. Both officers fired at Daucher.
“Shots were fired, send EMS, there was a rifle and a suspect was down at the front door,” the officers reported (over their radios).
A third officer arrived on scene to help Melius and Keskinen render aid to Daucher. Daucher was pronounced dead at 9:41 p.m., reports show.
Victims’ advocates spoke to the mother, who was not hurt, Wood said.
Both Melius and Keskinen had their body cameras activated during the shooting. It was not immediately clear if the footage would be released.
The case was turned over to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
