WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – A man accused of stabbing his mother was shot and killed by Polk County deputies after he opened fire on them, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The fatal shooting was reported Wednesday morning in southeast Winter Haven, an unincorporated area of the county.
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The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called after 36-year-old Phillip Dibenedetto stabbed his mother.
“When (deputies) arrived we saw the lady that was stabbed in the chest,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. “We learned that it was her son who later retreated from the main house back into his apartment, which was in the horse stables.”
Judd said that Dibenedetto asked his mother where she kept the coffee inside her home, and when she turned around to point out the coffee, her son stabbed her in the chest. Dibenedetto later told deputies he was “aiming for her throat” but missed and stabbed her in the chest.
The woman was able to escape her son and run next door where nurses were taking care of her husband and called 911. The woman pulled the knife out of her chest, according to Judd.
Deputies arrived at the scene and searched for Dibenedetto, who was located inside his apartment on the property.
“Our deputies go over to the location where (he) is located. They have a key. They unlock his apartment, they shove the door open and there he is,” Judd said. “And he’s screaming and hollering ‘Kill me. Kill me. Kill me.’”
Judd said deputies began trying to speak with Dibenedetto, trying to deescalate the situation and get him to exit the apartment, but he began to retreat farther inside the home.
“(Deputies) said no less than 50 times over the next 20 or so minutes while they were trying to negotiate a peaceful surrender,” Judd said. “He made statements such as, ‘I meant to stab my mother in the throat. But I was a little low and I stabbed her in the chest. I bought the Glock 19 handgun last week to do this. Today’s the day I die. Shoot me here shoot me in my heart.’”
Dibenedetto told deputies he had his handgun hidden in his recliner and when he approached the recliner, deputies tased him. When the taser cycle ended, Judd said the suspect reached for his gun and shot at deputies who returned fire, and shot Dibenedetto multiple times.
Judd said Dibenedetto was pronounced dead at the scene.
No deputies were injured and Dibenedetto’s mother was taken to a hospital with serious injuries, according to a news release.
“That’s how dangerous this job turns to be every day,” Judd said. “Our deputies are simply the best trained, and they did everything they could to deescalate, to safely take him into custody after he attempted to murder his mom in a premeditated fashion that he confessed to during the negotiation.”
Judd said Dibenedetto was known to deputies and had documented mental health problems that stemmed back to the early 2000s.
“He clearly, clearly indicated and said over 50 times ‘you all kill me, you all kill me, I’ve been planning this.’ He told us ‘I bought this gun last week to do this.’ So he had a plan,” Judd said. “We shot him multiple times. We shot him enough that he didn’t shoot back anymore.”
This is a developing story. Stay with News 6 for updates.