HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – Two Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies were shot and wounded after a suspect ambushed them as they moved in to arrest a man accused of holding his ex-girlfriend captive at gunpoint, according to the sheriff’s office.
New body camera and drone video released by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office shows the moment the deputies were shot. Both remain hospitalized but are alert and speaking on the phone, officials said.
The incident began when a woman went to the sheriff’s office and told investigators her ex-boyfriend had held her captive at gunpoint for hours. Deputies tracked the suspect, identified as 34-year-old Christopher Dmuchowski, to a home in the area, officials said.
Before moving in, deputies used a drone to monitor the scene. Sheriff Chad Chronister said the moment his deputies approached, Dmuchowski attacked.
“What you can see from the body cam footage and the drone footage is that he now, our suspect, punches his hand through the car so he can get a better shot at this deputy sheriff, and he opens fire as the deputy sheriff immediately gets out of the car,” Chronister said. “The car door’s not even closed, and he’s faced with a barrage of gunfire.”
A second deputy who pulled up moments later was shot before he could exit his vehicle.
“I’m hit! I’m hit!” one deputy is heard saying in the video. “I’m in my car! I got hit in the neck!”
As Dmuchowski continued firing on the second deputy, the third deputy approached from behind and opened fire.
“As he’s getting out, he sees our suspect firing on the second deputy,” Chronister said. “He opens fire, returns fire, striking the suspect multiple times.”
Both wounded deputies were airlifted to a hospital, where they remain under medical care. Dmuchowski was also transported to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
Investigators say Dmuchowski was a convicted felon. He was found guilty of evidence tampering in 2013.