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Florida authorities released dash camera footage Thursday of a deputy-involved shooting that ended with a dead suspect — a man who was out on bond for drug trafficking and had multiple convictions for violent offenses, officials said Thursday.
Brevard County Sheriff’s deputies Brian Potters and Tyler Thoman were conducting a traffic stop on Aug. 30 in Melbourne, 70 miles southeast of Orlando, when they were ambushed and fired upon, Sheriff Wayne Ivey said in a video detailing the encounter.
"The attack and ambush [were] perpetrated by a violent, career criminal, with a history of 40 charges for crimes including drug trafficking, aggravated assault while discharging a firearm, battery on a law enforcement officer, and attempted first-degree felony murder," he said.
The entire incident lasted about a minute and was captured on two separate dash cameras.
Deputy Thoman is seen talking to a woman outside her vehicle about the 2-month-old baby and dog in the backseat while another vehicle occupant is leaning against the rear of the car. The suspected shooter, whose identity has not been not released, is sitting in the back seat.
When Potters asks him to exit the car, the suspect opens fire and takes cover at the front of the vehicle, putting the baby seated inside at risk, Ivey said. Potters is heard saying he was struck by gunfire around the same time the suspect appears to be wounded by return fire.
As the deputies move to the side of a police cruiser, the suspect attacks Potters from behind after his rifle jams, striking him in the head with the butt of the weapon before they both fall to the ground, Ivey said.
Thoman then fired multiple shots at the suspect, who was killed. Potters was shot in the leg and sustained head lacerations, tissue damage and bone fractures, the sheriff said.