HIGHLANDS COUNTY, Fla. – A man was killed Tuesday afternoon after attacking a deputy and putting a child in a fire, according to the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office.
In a news release, the sheriff’s office announced that first responders were called to Sebring around 4 p.m. due to people burning a pile of debris on the side of the road.
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Upon arrival, fire crews were confronted by Richard Myron Ham, 39, who was armed with two metal roads, the release shows.
Ham refused to comply with deputies’ orders, and a Taser was deployed — though it didn’t appear to affect him, deputies said.
Investigators explained that Ham pulled the Taser probes from his body and struck a deputy in the head with one of the metal bars.
A deputy then fired at Ham, who was later taken to the hospital where he died, according to investigators. The injured deputy was also taken to a hospital, where he was treated and released.
The release says that Ham and Lakenya Phillips, 30, were burning the possessions of Phillips’ 9-year-old son because they believed he was “possessed by a demon.”
Witnesses reportedly told investigators that Ham put the child into the fire and covered him with a blanket that was also on fire, though the child escaped without any serious injuries, deputies explained.
According to the sheriff’s office, Phillips and the child were listed as missing and endangered out of Kansas earlier this month, though it’s not yet known why they came to Florida. Drugs and several firearms were found in the vehicle Ham and Phillips were using, the release shows.
Deputies said that Ham had also been convicted for armed felonies and drug possession in the past, having been arrested in Arkansas, South Carolina and Georgia.
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