ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — On Friday evening around 5 p.m., Orange County sheriff deputies responded to a domestic violence incident on the 3400 block of Ridgemont Road. According to deputies, the suspect strangled the victim and then fled the scene.
The suspect returned to the home several hours later and set the home on fire before fleeing the scene again, deputies said.
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Around 11 p.m., while deputies were investigating, the suspect returned to the home. According to deputies, the suspect got out of his car and immediately began firing a gun at the deputies.
Sheriff John Mina said, “The suspect came up really fast, intentionally wanting to do something. Don’t know if he was targeting the deputies at first, but when the deputies were there, they were like, ‘That’s him. That’s the car.’”
Earlier today a domestic violence suspect allegedly set a house on fire. While deputies were investigating, he came back and opened fire on deputies who returned fire striking him. Our deputies are okay. Here is the gun recovered at the scene. pic.twitter.com/iSyiYs7enF
— Orange County Sheriff's Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) February 6, 2021
One deputy returned fire, hitting the shooter. The shooter was transported to the hospital and is listed in critical condition.
According to the sheriff’s office, no deputies were injured during the exchange of gunfire.
The suspect has been identified as 43-year-old Phillip Francis, according to deputies.
Channel 9 has learned that Francis has been involved in at least one prior domestic violence situation before.
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According the Orange County Clerk’s office there is a 2020 petition for injunction for protection against Phillip Francis, at the same address of the shooting.
According to the petition, the victim said the two had been in an on-and-off relationship since first meeting in 2017, but according to the victim, the relationship quickly soured.
. @SheriffMina briefs the media about incident near Indian Hill Roland and Ridgemont Road. https://t.co/IzQKVjxtwa
— Orange County Sheriff's Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) February 6, 2021
The document on the clerk’s site shows that the injunction was denied.
According to deputies, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting and will turn over its findings to the State Attorney’s Office for review.
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Once that process is completed, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office will conduct its own internal investigation.
The deputy involved, Deputy Sheriff William Hatch has been with OCSO since September of 2016 and is temporarily on paid administrative leave pending the FDLE findings, deputies said.
Cox Media Group
