TAMPA, Fla. — One of two deputies seriously hurt after being intentionally hit by a driver this week in Brandon is out of the hospital.
Deputy Manny Santos, 31, was wheeled Saturday afternoon out of Tampa General Hospital, where he was greeted by fellow Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office deputies, friends and loved ones.
10 Tampa Bay was there to capture the emotional moments.
"Never underestimate the power of prayer," Sheriff Chad Chronister said during a brief news conference outside the hospital.
According to Chronister, while Santos gets to sleep in his own bed tonight, his long road to recovery is just starting. The deputy is set to return to TGH Tuesday for the first of several surgeries on his leg, Chronister said.
Santos' leg suffered a bilateral break as well as several torn ligaments.
"I'm happy to be here," Santos said outside the hospital. "The chances of me being here obviously were pretty slim to none for a second but I made it out here."
Chronister commended Santos and his fellow deputies who responded to the 911 call for service that day. He said his deputies' training kept the situation from getting worse. He added one of the first things Santos did after other responding deputies subdued the suspected driver was tell them that he was fine, and to "take care of the Corporal [Brito]."
Corporal Carlos Brito, 39, suffered more serious injuries and remains in the hospital. He has already had two surgeries, Chronister said. The doctors are doing "whatever they can" to save Brito's leg, which was severely damaged in the attack. The sheriff added doctors are "cautiously optimistic" about being able to save the corporal's leg.
The man accused of intentionally targeting the deputies and using his car to ram into them, 28-year-old Ralph Bouzy, is reportedly still "very violent" and has hit at least two deputies in the face since being in custody. Bouzy faces multiple counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer.