ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – An Orange County deputy shot a man who had just opened fire on them at an apartment complex Friday night, according to the sheriff’s office.
The shooting occurred around 9:40 p.m. as deputies were doing surveillance on a homicide suspect in the area of the 2200 block of Buchanan Bay Circle, according to a news release.
The goal was to serve a DNA search warrant in a murder that happened Christmas Eve, the release states. The warrant was related to the Dec. 24 shooting death of 17-year-old Jamar Jerome, according to Orange County Sheriff John Mina.
When the suspect and another man emerged from the residence, the latter allegedly opened fire on the deputies and struck an unmarked vehicle, according to the release. A deputy then shot the man, who has so far only been described as 20 years old.
“They were able to approach him, secure his firearm, and render first aid until paramedics arrived. He is at the hospital right now undergoing surgery,” Mina said in a video statement.
The original suspect tried to run back into the home, but the sheriff’s office said he was stopped, detained and questioned by detectives, adding he was also armed with a handgun.
The hospitalized man will face charges in the shooting, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the shooting before its findings are turned over to the state attorney’s office, then to the sheriff’s office for internal review, the sheriff said.
Mina said body-worn camera video of the incident will be released within 30 days and that the deputy who fired his weapon is on paid, administrative leave pending the initial FDLE review.
Watch the video statement in the media viewer at the top of this story.
This is a developing story. Check back with News 6 for updates.