The suspect in a Daytona Beach stabbing was shot and killed by law enforcement on Saturday after reportedly charging at officers, multiple agencies have confirmed. The suspect was identified as Landon Watson by Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood on Monday. Chitwood said Watson was 18, while county arrest records list him as 19.
According to a report from the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, a call was placed about a stabbing at around 9:30 pm on Saturday. The incident was near the area of 1402 Derbyshire Road, in the San Juan Acres neighborhood.
Law Enforcement Responds
The VSO alone has apparently responded to the residence in question 21 times since April 2023, according to Chitwood. Responding agencies on Saturday included the VSO, Daytona Beach Police Department, Holly Hill Police Department, and Ormond Beach Police Department.
Two male victims were found with multiple stab wounds, one 16 years old and 39 years old. Watson was then reportedly discovered to still be inside the residence, along with one more person. Responding officers and deputies began making announcements to the suspect ordering him to come out, the VSO says. Chitwood said there was blood visible on the door and leading in and out of the house.
The Shooting
Landon Watson’s Volusia County mugshot from June. ⓒ Volusia County Branch Jail
A group of deputies and police officers entered the house to search for more victims, which Chitwood said included some armed with ‘less lethal’ rounds designed to subdue a target without as high a likelihood of gravely injuring them. He also said the team announced inside the house that they were searching for victims.
“That was originally why they made entry, because the information we had was that there were possibly additional victims inside of that residence,” Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young said Monday. “So I also support the decision to go ahead and make entry in there.”
Watson then reportedly rushed out of a bedroom screaming, holding a large knife above his head. He was said to have come quite close to a sergeant with the DBPD. Watson was fired upon and shot multiple times, ultimately being pronounced deceased by law enforcement at the scene.
As mentioned by Chitwood, Watson has another recent run-in with Volusia County law enforcement. He was arrested on June 20th, 2025 on a loitering/prowling charge, a record which is on file with the Volusia County Branch Jail. According to Chitwood, he told law enforcement that he wanted to die.
Aftermath
Fortunately no individuals aside from the two stabbing victims and Watson were reported injured, including law enforcement officers. The victims were hospitalized and listed in stable condition. “What we had the other night could’ve very easily ended up with a Daytona Beach sergeant being killed,” Chitwood said Monday.
The VSO deputies and DBPD officers involved in the shooting were placed on administrative leave, a standard step taken after law enforcement personnel are involved in a fatal shooting. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) will be investigating the incident from here, also a standard practice for such incidents.
Both Sheriff Chitwood and Chief Young expressed their condolences to Watson’s family, and their dismay that the situation appeared to necessitate the usage of lethal force by law enforcement. “Law enforcement does not come to work to kill people,” Chitwood said. “On the flip side of that coin, law enforcement doesn’t come to work to be killed.”
