Global Black Voices: News from around the World
- Deputies from Orange County Sheriff's Office responded in Orlando after homeowner said he fired at suspects who fled.
- A deputy fired after being startled, hitting the homeowner in the leg; the victim shouted 'You shot me!' and was treated and released.
- The Sheriff's office called the shooting accidental; deputy relieved of law enforcement duty and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating.
Bodycam footage showed the moments a Florida deputy suddenly discharged his service weapon and ended up shooting a homeowner who called 911 for help.
The video shows deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office responding to a call about an attempted home invasion in Orlando on Aug. 23.
According to WOFL, the homeowner called police to report that he was shooting at four people who tried to break into his home. The suspects ran away before deputies could get to the man’s home.
The bodycam video shows the moments law enforcement arrived. Multiple deputies are seen approaching the home, and one knocks on the door, notifying the occupants inside that he and his partners have arrived by yelling, “Sheriff’s office!”
The arrival quickly escalates to gunfire when a deputy jumps in surprise at an apparent noise and fires his gun, which is already pointed at the homeowner’s front door.
The homeowner and another occupant inside the house are heard shouting in surprise at the gunshot.
“You shot me, man!” the homeowner yells at the deputies.
“Is anybody hurt inside?” one deputy asks him.
“No, bro! They outside! You shot me!” the homeowner says as he opens the front door and limps outside. “You said come outside! You shot me!”
As the homeowner reprimands the deputies, he’s seen holding up one of his pant legs. Officials say he was shot in the leg.
Deputies took the man to a local hospital, where he was treated for his injuries and released the same day.
The sheriff’s office released a statement saying the shooting was accidental and that the deputy who shot the homeowner “has been relieved of law enforcement duty and temporarily assigned to an administrative capacity.”
Authorities have not released the deputy’s name. The incident is still under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
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