Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office detailed the arrest of a Riverview man who was shot during a gunfight with deputies early Sunday and now faces two counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer.
Jamil Alejandro Valladares, 26, pulled his gun on deputies who were investigating a domestic dispute reported by Valladares’ girlfriend. The deputies were not injured.
Deputies Austin O’Neill, 26, and Joshua Berrios, 29, responded to the apartment 1:15 a.m. after Krista Kariema Wong, 24, called 911 claiming that Valladares pulled her hair and ripped her robe during a fight.
Wong’s mother was on scene when the officers arrived and claimed she saw Valladares in the parking lot while getting a bag from her car, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The uniformed deputies went outside and saw Valladares in front of his 2000 Mercury Mountaineer.
The O’Neill and Berrios reported that they approached Valladares, who backed away and became verbally aggressive. Valladares then placed his right hand in his shorts pocket and raised a Smith & Wesson .40-caliber handgun, authorities said.
The deputies pulled their guns and shot at Valladares, who was hit multiple times. Valladares fired two rounds from his handgun.
The spent shell casings were found at the scene near his gun.
Spokesman Larry McKinnon stated that “In this case and any other armed encounter with law enforcement officers, if you pull a firearm out on a known law enforcement official in a threatening manner there is a very high probability you will be shot.”
The deputies were not hurt. O’Neill, who has been with the department for two years, and Berrios, who was hired six months ago, have been placed on routine paid administrative leave while authorities investigate the incident.
Valladares was taken to a hospital for treatment, but will be booked into the Hillsborough County jail system when he is medically cleared, the Sheriff’s Office said.
