Suspect Identified in Deputy Involved Shooting in Plant City
UPDATE: May 8, 2024: The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has identified the suspect involved in the incident in Plant City.
The suspect has been identified as Anthony Ray Gamez, 40.
This case remains active and ongoing. Any further updates will come from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is investigating a shooting on Tuesday, May 7, involving Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputies.
At 2:40 a.m., deputies responded to the 2900 block of Frontage Drive in Plant City. A 911 caller from the location reported that an unknown person was banging on the windows and threatening to kill the people inside.
According to Hillsborough County Sheriff, Chad Chronister, the location of the shooting is a worship center at which pastors live.
Upon arrival, deputies came in contact with an erratic suspect. The body-worn camera shows the individual pacing a wrought-iron fence, and groaning and growling at deputies. Chronister reported the person mimicked a gorilla in the way he walked.
Deputies noted the suspect had a sharp object, which proved to be a railroad spike, and immediately tried to de-escalate the situation, telling him to drop the object, but he refused.
As deputies urged the individual to drop the object, the suspect became more aggressive, kicking open a fence and lunging toward deputies. Deputies continued their de-escalation efforts by establishing a safe distance. As the individual continued his aggressive approach, deputies deployed the BolaWrap, a tool used to immobilize a person by wrapping them with a Kevlar cord. Deputies also deployed a TASER in yet another attempt to stop him.
The less-lethal options were ineffective as the individual charged at deputies. Ultimately, the suspect backed them against the wall separating the frontage road from Interstate 4, and deputies were forced to fire their service weapons. Immediately after, deputies initiated lifesaving efforts. The suspect died on the scene.
“Our deputies showed extraordinary professionalism and exhausted every less lethal option to preserve life before this fatal outcome,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Their actions today serve as a reflection of the extensive training our deputies undergo and is a testament to the tools they have available to serve and protect the community.”
The HCSO deputies involved in this incident were:
• Deputy Robert Sanchez, 43
17 years of service
• Deputy Jacob St. John, 27
Ten months of service
Neither of the deputies involved have any prior uses of deadly force.
As FDLE investigates the incident, the deputies involved will be placed on administrative leave.