Volusia County Sheriff’s Office gives an update on shooting incident.

Written by Kristen Schmutz

Belden Communications News 

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood held a press conference Monday, February 6, 2023, with updates on the shooting that occurred off Lakeshore Drive in New Smyrna Beach. Michael Collmar, 43, armed with two knives and in an erratic mental health state, was shot and injured by a Volusia County Sheriff's deputy early Sunday afternoon.

Upon arriving at the scene, deputies tried to negotiate with Collmar but were unsuccessful after several attempts to subdue Collmar. Deputies utilized multiple Taser deployments and less-lethal shotgun rounds (Bean Bags). However, Collmar still advanced out of the front door toward the deputy, who fired and shot him before treating his injuries on the scene and calling for medical transport to take Collmar to the hospital, where he underwent surgery. As of this writing, there are no reports of any life-threatening injuries, but based on an update from the Hospital and the Sheriff’s Office on Monday, Collmar is stable, intubated, and awaiting a second round of surgery.

“This man, armed with two knives, came out of the door with such speed and superhuman strength that the deputy on the porch had nowhere to go. You can see in the bodycam footage the use of the taser deployments and less lethal rounds, but he was not going down.” Sheriff Chitwood during the press conference.

Collmar was involved in a similar incident three weeks prior, on January 17, where he was armed with knives and acting erratically at the Lakeshore Drive residence. When the Sheriff’s Deputy responded to the call, he provided information to the parents on filing an ex parte order being he did not meet the criteria for a Baker Act while the deputy was on the scene. 

Unfortunately, the parents never followed through with the ex parte, but the Sheriff’s deputy flagged the address to alert future first responders not to go to the address alone.

According to Sheriff Chitwood, Collmar was shouting delusions and exuding symptoms of paranoia from not taking medication as he is diagnosed with Bi-polar Schizophrenia. The mother also reported that Collmar appeared to be on a drug binge during the incident on Sunday, as he had not slept in three days.

“You could see the impact wounds on his body from the bean bags. He was not going down,” said Sheriff Chitwood. “When you have someone that is mentally ill, and they go off the rails, that is where it can go wrong. But how do you cooperate or negotiate with someone when they are completely divorced from reality.”

Collmar has a criminal history with 31 felony charges with 17 convictions and 33 misdemeanor charges with 19 convictions. He was recently released from Florida prison in October 2022 after serving four years for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.