DELAND, FL – A Volusia sheriff’s deputy conducting security screenings at the Volusia County Courthouse in DeLand discovered a dagger hidden in the sole of a man’s shoe as he tried to enter the facility Friday morning.
According to authorities, shortly after 11 a.m., 26-year-old Austin W. Irvine of DeBary entered the security screening area at the courthouse where he placed his belongings into a bin to be sent through the X-ray machine, then walked through the magnetometer, which alerted in the area of his feet.
Irvine was asked to walk through the magnetometer a second time, and it alerted again. He was asked to remove his shoes to be X-rayed, and as they were sent through the machine, Deputy Trevor Gamble discovered the dagger concealed inside the sole of the right shoe.
Irvine told Deputy Gamble he didn’t know the knife was in his shoe, and that the shoes weren’t even his. He was charged with carrying a concealed weapon into the courthouse, a misdemeanor.
In September 2021, following an incident at his home in DeBary where he apparently fired a shotgun at people who didn’t exist, Irvine was the subject of a risk protection order filed by the Volusia Sheriff’s Office. Under Florida statute commonly referred to as a “Red Flag Law,” a law enforcement officer can file a petition asking a judge to enter a risk protection order (RPO) that temporarily removes firearms and ammunition from the possession of someone who poses a danger to themselves or others. An RPO may remain in effect for up to one year unless extended by a judge.
Irvine’s RPO applies to firearms and ammunition, not other weapons, and is currently set to expire in September.
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