BROOKSVILLE, Fla. — Minutes before and after 8 p.m. on Jan. 29, multiple 911 calls were made about a "domestic disturbance" between a man and woman involving a gun in Hernando County.
One of those calls came from the woman just as a deputy arrived at the residence "in a fairly remote part of the county." On the call, she said that Tracy Lemaster, 62, had a gun, according to the sheriff's office.
"Deputies are heard in the background instructing Lemaster, over the 911 call, to drop the gun numerous times," Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis said during a news conference Friday.
"Lemaster, obviously, refuses to comply and he's heard at least five times in that call [saying], 'just shoot me, just shoot me.' The victim continues pleading with him to give her the gun," he continued.
Minutes later, a second and third deputy arrived at the residence where Lemaster was still refusing to put down the gun, Nienhuis explained.
"It does appear that he points the weapon at one of the deputies. Shots are fired by the deputies," the sheriff said.
Lemaster and the woman were on the ground "wrestling," according to Nienhuis, when two deputies fired around 13 rounds at the pair and shot them.
Warning: The audio and video seen below may be disturbing to some viewers.
"Deputies, of course, requested medical assistance immediately. They move in, render life-saving measures," Nienhuis said. Both the Lemaster and the woman were taken to a hospital.
It was initially reported that deputies had been fired upon, but that turned out to be incorrect.
The sheriff's office later learned that Lemaster's gun was jammed but had two live rounds in the chamber.
The woman was released from the hospital a few days after the incident, however, Lemaster still remains in care. Nienhuis said he should be released soon and may be taken to jail.
Nienhus said Lemaster will be charged with domestic violence, aggravated assault on officers, and several other charges. In part, the sheriff said the deputies were "given no other option given the set of circumstances they were thrown into."
"I am very proud of the bravery they showed and how quickly they went from having to use deadly force to rendering aid," he said.
The investigation is still open and the deputies involved have been interviewed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. They were put on administrative leave with pay as is customary during deputy-involved shootings. Involved deputies have been put back on duty.
Watch the full news conference