Holly MatkinPensacola, FL – An Escambia County deputy was shot while investigating a homicide on Tuesday night.
Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said the incident occurred in the 3200-block of La Rua Street at approximately 7 p.m., FOX News reported.
Members of the sheriff’s office’s Gun Crimes Unit were out searching the area for a homicide suspect when they came upon a man who was not tied to the investigation, Sheriff Simmons said.
They detained the man and were speaking with him when he began to “fumble around” with his waistband, according to the sheriff.
A scuffle broke out between the man and the deputies, at which point the man allegedly drew a gun an and shot one of the deputies in the leg, FOX News reported.
The deputy immediately returned fire, fatally wounding the shooter, Sheriff Simmons said.
The suspect was described as a white male in his mid-50s, but his name was not released.
#BREAKING: An Escambia County Sheriff’s Deputy has been shot moments ago near 3207 W. La Rua Street in Pensacola. Details are limited . @weartv is Facebook Live . @JohnRupolo has a live report tonight at 10. pic.twitter.com/ZrbzOWjggp
— AlShowersWEAR-TV (@WEARTV_Showers) October 20, 2021
Multiple people at the scene were detained after the shooting, according to WEAR.
The wounded deputy was rushed to a local hospital, where doctors determined his injuries were non-life threatening, FOX News reported.
Sheriff Simmons told reporters he met with the deputy and his family at the hospital shortly before the press conference took place on Tuesday night.
#BREAKING I’m at @eBHC in #Pensacola where @ECSONews says a deputy was shot and it appears by all the sheriffs vehicles that he was taken here. More on @weartv #C3N at 10pm. pic.twitter.com/ky8KOZKClK
— Hudson MIller (@Hudson_Miller15) October 20, 2021
“He will probably be admitted and just stay overnight for observation, but at this point, he looks to be okay,” the sheriff said. “We would hope that nothing like this would ever happen, but we know that’s not the reality.”
“The reality is that every day and every night, members of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and all law enforcement are out there doing a very dangerous job,” he continued. “Sometimes when they do that job, we have individuals that that want to threaten them and they bring weapons and then a struggle ensues and shots are fired.”
Sheriff Simmons said he is “very happy” that the deputy is expected to recover.
#BREAKING: :UPDATE: A man is dead and an Escambia Co. Sheriff’s Deputy is hospitalized after being shot in an officer involved shooting tonight at a home at 3207 W. La Rua St. in Pensacola. @weartv is Facebook Live and @JohnRupolo has a live report tonight at 10. pic.twitter.com/LAZ7SsbWIe
— AlShowersWEAR-TV (@WEARTV_Showers) October 20, 2021
He would not release the deputy’s name.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) will handling the ongoing investigation into the fatal officer-involved shooting.
