BRANDON, Fla. — Two men with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office are being treated for severe injuries after a violent ambush on Thursday in Brandon.
Sheriff Chad Chronister provided an update on those men on Friday, tweeting a photo of himself with Deputy Manny Santos and Santos' wife. He said Santos "has a bilateral break in his leg — with extensive ligament damage." He says he'll need surgery but is in good spirits.
Chronister also provided an update on the condition of Corporal Carlos Brito, whose injuries were much more severe. He said Brito was awake and "surrounded by family." The sheriff said surgeons are "doing everything they can" to save his leg, which was severely damaged in the attack.
Several social media posts from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and those in the community from over the years paint a picture of the person and professional that Brito is. Particularly, they show he goes above and beyond the call of duty.
Old posts from the department share the moments when Corporal Brito changed a car tire for someone in need and gave his money to a family who lost everything in a fire. And tonight, we spoke with one family who said his kindness at their son's birthday party was something they will never forget.
It happened when David Paredes was having his 4th birthday party at a local park. It happened to be where Corporal Brito was on patrol.
"My son David approached him and he said, I really like your uniform. And the corporal lit up as soon as David started talking to him," said Rodrigo Paredes, David's dad. "He said, hey, you want to see something? And he brought David into the truck, into his truck, and turned on his lights for David."
One by one, they said Brito lifted each kid into the truck bed to give them a good look. He also gave each a badge sticker.
It was a small, unexpected gesture that made their son's whole year.
"That was actually the highlight of his birthday party. That was his favorite part and he kept talking about it for just weeks on end," said Rodrigo Paredes.
David's mother was moved by the encounter and said it changed her perspective on police.
"It's not every day you always meet people like that. You know, they make you feel wow!" said Olga Paredes. "It was the best part of the birthday because people can say, how you made the police come to your birthday party? No, it wasn't really planned."
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office has launched a donation page to help their families with medical expenses. If you would like to help support them financially, click here.