Romantic rivalry ends with officer-involved shooting, police say

CASSELBERRY, Fla. — Casselberry police said a man who started a shootout with police and shot a romantic rival will face an attempted-murder charge.

The two men are in the hospital after a fight ended with both men being shot Saturday night, police said.

Casselberry police said when Officers Zachary Price and Thomas Graffy were called Saturday night to a home on Griggs Avenue, 41-year-old Joseph Hoffman and 37-year-old Jonathan Lewis were fighting in the front yard of a home.

According to police, Hoffman was waving around a firearm and refused to comply with the officers' commands to put down the weapon.

Casselberry police said Hoffman then opened fire at the officers and Lewis, who was hit, so the officers returned fire.

Hoffman and Lewis had been fighting over a woman in Gabe Quinones' front yard, police said.

Evidence markers showed where bullets hit Quinones' house.

"They went through my living room, through my kitchen, all the way through the back of my house, so it could've been really, really bad if we were home," said Quinones.

Quinones said he and his wife were at a birthday party with their young daughter when the fight began.

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Police said Lewis was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center with injuries that were not life-threatening and remains hospitalized in stable condition.

Officers Price and Graffy returned fire and shot Hoffman, who was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center. He underwent surgery and is listed in stable but critical condition, according to police.

Neither officer was injured during the exchange.

The officers were wearing body cameras.

Police said Hoffman is facing a first-degree attempted-murder charge.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating. As standard practice, Price and Graffy have been placed on administrative duty.

Until FDLE concludes their investigation, no other information concerning the officer-involved shooting can be released.

FDLE has investigated seven officer-involved shootings in Central Florida this year. That compares to 25 in last year, but some agencies conduct their own investigations.

Cox Media Group