Sheriff Chad Chronister of Hillsborough County, Florida, had a harrowing tale to tell after two of his deputies, Corporal Carlos Brito, 39, and Deputy Manuel Santos, 31, were critically injured due to an ambush.
“There is no other way to describe this other than an ambush,” Chronister said. “Our deputies put their lives on the line every day to protect this community and what happened today makes me absolutely sick.”
The incident began on Thursday morning, around 7:44, when a woman called deputies to a home in Brandon, Florida, expressing her fear of what her son may do. The man, Ralph Bouzy, 28, was in a vehicle when deputies arrived, but drove away.
At 8:00 a.m., Bouzy returned, with video showing a compilation of the horrific incident. Bouzy, intent on an ambush, accelerated towards where both Brito and Santos stood, near an SUV. One deputy jumped out of the way of the car, the other two were struck, with Brito potentially facing an amputation of his leg. Bouzy left his car and approached an officer, before being tased and taken into custody.
“Corporal Brito and Deputy Santos came to work today committed to making a difference in their community. Because of this man’s deliberate and intentional actions, their lives, and their family’s lives are changed forever,” Chronister added.
Injured HCSO Corporal went ‘above and beyond’, providing memorable acts of kindness #VolunteerWork #BuildingConnections #CommunityEngagement #CommunityInvolvement [Video] As Corporal Carlos Brito is … https://t.co/RpT8mMaunt
— Debbie Griffin (@DebbieGSGN) November 11, 2023
Following the devastating incident, Republican presidential candidate and Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, spoke out on the matter. “We don’t tolerate attacks on our law enforcement officers in Florida. The coward who brutally attacked these deputies will be punished,” he stated in a post on X.
????????????????????????????: ???????????????????????????? ????????????????????#teamHCSO is releasing surveillance and body camera footage from today's ambush of two deputies in Brandon. Both deputies are currently at Tampa General Hospital undergoing surgery for critical injuries.
"Corporal Brito and Deputy… pic.twitter.com/kmcgOA0bu6
— HCSO (@HCSOSheriff) November 9, 2023
“We are praying for the deputies who were seriously injured during this ambush in Brandon,” DeSantis and his wife shared.
Bouzy was charged with three counts of Attempted Murder on a Law Enforcement Officer, in light of his criminal record of three felony arrests and 14 misdemeanor arrests.
Chronister closed off the incident with a heartfelt message: “The bravery our men and women in law enforcement across the state of Florida stand for is something we should celebrate and appreciate.”