UPDATE: New records add detail in Sebastian deadly police shooting

UPDATE — Sept. 24, 2026

Newly released records are providing additional detail in the Sept. 17 fatal officer-involved shooting in Sebastian that left 41-year-old Keaton Daucher dead and two Sebastian police officers on paid administrative leave.

The records add to the timeline surrounding the response at 549 Joy Haven Drive and the radio traffic immediately before and after officers opened fire. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement continues to investigate the shooting.

Several important questions remain unanswered publicly, including whether Daucher fired the shotgun he was carrying, whether the weapon was loaded, how many rounds were fired by the officers and whether body-camera footage will be released.

ORIGINAL STORY

SEBASTIAN — A 41-year-old Sebastian man was shot and killed by police late Sept. 17 after authorities said he came out of a home carrying a shotgun while officers were responding to a disturbance call.

The man was identified as Keaton Daucher, who lived at the Joy Haven Drive residence with his mother.

According to Sebastian Police Department officials, officers were called to the home in the 500 block of Joy Haven Drive after a report of yelling and obscenities coming from inside the residence.

Interim Police Chief Tim Wood said officers arrived and spoke with Daucher’s mother outside the home. While they were speaking with her, officers could hear a man yelling from inside.

Police said Daucher then came out of the residence carrying a shotgun.

Both Sebastian officers fired their service weapons.

Daucher was struck and later pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving efforts by officers. A third officer arrived after the shooting and assisted with those efforts.

Neither of the two officers involved in the shooting was injured. Daucher’s mother was also not hurt, and police said no one else was inside the home at the time.

The two officers who fired their weapons were placed on paid administrative leave. Sebastian police described that action as standard procedure following an officer-involved shooting.

The investigation was turned over to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which routinely conducts independent investigations of officer-involved shootings in Florida. The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office are also assisting.

At an initial news conference, Wood said investigators had not yet determined publicly whether the shotgun was loaded, whether Daucher fired it, what type of shotgun he was carrying or how many rounds the officers fired.

Police also said the original call to the home did not report that anyone was armed.

Authorities confirmed police had been called to the residence previously. Records cited by local media indicated multiple prior calls for service at the address, but police said those earlier incidents had not involved reports of a firearm.

Wood called the incident tragic for everyone involved and offered condolences to Daucher’s family.

The shooting remains under investigation, and the officers’ identities have not been publicly released as of the latest update.

Officer-involved shootings typically undergo several layers of review. FDLE investigates the circumstances surrounding the shooting, while the State Attorney’s Office may review the findings to determine whether the use of deadly force was legally justified. The Sebastian Police Department may also conduct its own administrative review once the criminal investigation is complete.

Body-camera footage, investigative reports and other records may become public as the case progresses, though some material can remain exempt while an active investigation is underway.

IRC Media will continue updating this story as additional official records, investigative findings or statements are released.

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