BRANDON, Fla. — Two Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputies were seriously injured after responding to a service call Thursday morning, officials with the sheriff's office said.
Officials said the sheriff's office received a call at 7:44 a.m. from a woman stating that her son was in a mental health crisis at their home in the Heather Lake subdivision in Brandon.
When the deputies arrived, they came into contact with Ralph Bouzy, 28, who was in the driver's seat of a vehicle in the driveway of his home. Deputies tried to make contact with him, expressing they were there to help, but Bouzy refused to speak to them and drove away.
Officials said just after 8 a.m. Bouzy returned to the scene and drove his Nissan sedan directly toward the deputies, striking them.
The two deputies involved were Corporal Carlos Brito, 39, and Deputy Manuel Santos, 31. Both sustained serious leg injuries and are receiving treatment at Tampa General Hospital.
Bouzy was shot with a taser by other deputies after refusing their commands. He was then taken into custody.
Body camera video provided by the sheriff's office shows the deputies being hit.
"These deputies never had a chance," Chronister said. "They didn’t have a chance to get out of the way. They didn't have a chance to do anything. He’s accelerating at such a high rate of speed and he strikes both of them."
"This was intentional," the sheriff said. "This suspect was free to leave. He was only a threat to himself. He was gone. When I talk about being deliberate and intentional, he chose to return to the scene."