TAMPA, Fla. — The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is investigating an incident that resulted in three deputies being shot at while at a Tampa park on Sunday.
Just before 10 a.m. Sunday, HCSO deputies were patrolling the Beacon Meadows Park area. They saw 32-year-old Anthony Carpenter, who had trespassed from the park the day before.
HCSO Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer said Carpenter isn't allowed at the park and has an "aggressive" dog.
Deputies asked him to leave, but Carpenter was "defiant," according to officials. For 25 minutes, deputies tried to de-escalate the situation, but Carpenter refused to comply with their commands.
Deputies asked Carpenter several times if he was armed, but he said he was not.
During that time, deputies asked Hillsborough County Animal Control Services to respond. Police said Carpenter was still "extremely defiant."
Once he noticed Animal Control on scene, he walked into a field, prompting deputies to draw their tasers.
Carpenter still did not follow the orders of the deputies, so they used their tasers on him, causing him to fall to the ground.
While Carpenter was on the ground, he shot three times using a firearm from one of the pockets of his jacket. Officials said one of the bullets hit Deputy Kerr Craige’s service radio, located on his shoulder.
The impact left Deputy Craige with a torn ligament and possibly a broken bone, authorities said.
When Carpenter was arrested, deputies found the firearm as well as a knife in his jacket.
Carpenter is facing charges of three counts of attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer with a firearm, one count of resisting a law enforcement officer with violence, and one count of armed trespassing.
The State Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday that he will remain behind bars until his trial.
Deputy Joseph Lopez and Deputy Sean Bush were the other two deputies involved in this incident.
Watch the full press conference from Maurer below.
