DAVENPORT, Fla. — Video released by the Polk County Sheriff's Office shows the moment a man opened fire on two deputies, hitting one in the chest. Thankfully, that deputy is said to be in "great shape" after his bulletproof vest stopped the bullet, according to Sheriff Grady Judd.
And, the suspected shooter — 41-year-old Gabriel Batista — now faces several charges, including attempted murder of a law enforcement officer.
The surveillance video released appears to confirm the sheriff's office's account of what happened last week. The confrontation started around 10 p.m. on Oct. 12 when two deputies were called about a "family disturbance" in the Tanglewood Preserve subdivision in Davenport.
Gabriel Batista had recently been separated from his family and living at a different location, Judd said. The 41-year-old called the house and talked to his 7-year-old daughter before the mother got on the line and told him not to involve the kid, the sheriff explained. She then hung up the phone.
But the situation only escalated more when Batista reportedly showed up at the home and started knocking on doors. Soon after, the mother called 911 saying her estranged husband was outside and was threatening them, Judd said.
When Deputy Tony Nunez and Deputy Nicole Lyons got to the home, Batista wasn't there but Judd explained he soon returned. The two clips stitched together in the agency's video show the two Polk deputies confronting Batista, who stood with his hands behind his back.
Batista reportedly refused to show his hands when asked and instead backed down the driveway and circled around his car. While trying to order Batista to comply, Judd said Lyons attempted to tase him. According to the sheriff, this prompted Batista to shoot.
The video shows him backing away from deputies with his hands still behind his back. One video angle shows what appears to be a gun in one of his hands. After rounding behind a car, the video shows Batista pointing the gun and apparently firing at one of the deputies around the same time the deputy deployed his taser.
Judd said Batista fired his gun six times, with one of the rounds striking Nunez in the center of his chest, stopped only by his bulletproof vest.
The video also shows Batista quickly falling to the ground and putting his hands up as both deputies took him into custody. He's facing two counts of attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer along with other charges.
According to the sheriff, Batista said he wanted to die by "second-hand suicide." He also wanted to let the deputy know he was sorry he tried to kill him, Judd explained.
Previous 10 Tampa Bay reporting contributed to this report.