There was a deputy involved shooting in Silver Springs involving a man, a K-9 and deputies on Saturday morning.
Here’s what we know about the incident:
Where did the shooting occur? The 900 block of Northeast 144th Court in Silver Springs.
Who was shot? K-9 Leo and a man.
What happened? According to sheriff’s officials, they responded to a call for service for an alleged suspect in a battery by strangulation case around 9 a.m. Arriving on scene, deputies came in contact with the alleged suspect in the back of a residence. Deputies said the alleged suspect was armed and opened fire on them. They returned fire and the alleged gunman and the pooch were hit.
What’s the condition of the victims? Officials said the K-9 first went to a local veterinary hospital then to a Gainesville veterinary hospital for further treatment. As of Saturday afternoon, the K-9 was listed in stable condition, sheriff’s officials said. Sheriff’s officials said the K-9, a Belgian Malinois, has been with the agency since 2020 and is 4-years-old. The K-9 handler, Cpl. Justin Tortora, and other deputies on scene were not injured during the shooting. Tortora has been by his partner’s side through his ordeal, deputies said. Because of the ongoing investigation, it’s unknown how many times the dog has been shot.
Officials said the man who was shot was transported to a local hospital but later died. Sheriff’s officials are not releasing any details, such as an age or name of the reported gunman, until his family can be notified.
How did the reported gunman get a gun? Officials said that question is being reviewed by Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
How many shots were fired? At this point law enforcement officials said it’s under investigation.
How many deputies were involved in the shooting? Three. The name of the deputies has not been released for now.
What was the scene like? Deputies had several areas roped off by yellow crime scene tape with deputies making sure only authorized personnel enter. Detectives from the Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit were on scene and are conducting a separate investigation.
Who will be the lead agency looking into the shooting? FDLE. Typically, whenever there’s a law enforcement involved shooting, FDLE is called to investigate.
Is a lawyer representing any of the deputies or deputy? Yes. Local defense lawyer Jimmie Sparrow, a former Belleview Police Department officer and assistant state attorney, is the attorney for one deputy. Sparrow said his client is doing fine under the circumstances. He said FDLE will interview the deputy at another time. Sparrow said the deputy is on paid administrative leave for now.
Have there been any other deputy involved shooting? Yes. Since 2017 there have been 12 deputy-involved shootings, nine of them fatal, according to sheriff’s office records.
Man shot: The standoff lasted hours. Then the man exited the house and pointed his gun at deputies.
The last deputy involved shooting was on Dec. 31 when 41-year-old Steven Clark Jr. was shot by a deputy after the Ocala man pointed a gun at deputies.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com