GAINESVILLE, FL (352today.com) – A shooting at a hotel Monday in Gainesville involving a deputy is now under investigation.
The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) says in a Facebook post they responded to the La Quinta Inn located at 908 Northwest 69th Terrace to conduct a wellness check. When they arrived, hotel management told them that they hadn’t seen the hotel guest since Saturday, January 6. They also told deputies they could not get inside of the room because it had been deadbolted.
Deputies say they tried to get the occupant of the room to open the door multiple times by announcing they were there as well as knocking. They then requested assistance from Alachua County Fire Rescue (ACFR) and had to force their way into the room.
After searching the room, they say they found an empty gun holster on the bed. They say they also noticed that the bathroom door was locked. After giving multiple verbal commands, deputies say they eventually forced their way into the bathroom where they discovered the occupant armed with a handgun.
They say the occupant refused to listen to their commands to drop the handgun, and that’s when deputies shot the occupant.
Deputies say they then immediately gave the hotel guest medical attention and transported the person to a local hospital with life threatening injuries.
No deputies were injured from the shooting.
Per protocol, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will conduct an investigation into the shooting. ACSO’s Office of Professional Standards will also review the shooting to determine whether the sheriff’s office policies were followed.
The sheriff’s office says all law enforcement personnel involved have been placed on administrative leave which is standard procedure.