A recent deputy-involved shooting involving a man carrying a large assault rifle and dressed in military tactical gear in Central Florida is under investigation.
Following the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputy-involved shooting, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating.
On April 23rd at 7:24am, HCSO’s Communications Center received multiple calls regarding an adult male in the area of Windingwood Avenue and Providence Road carrying a large assault rifle and dressed in military tactical gear. When deputies arrived, they located 34-year-old Vincent Tyler Morin walking north on Providence Road towards the Causeway Boulevard intersection in Brandon, near Tampa.
As the deputies encountered Morin, they immediately gave him several commands to put down the weapon, which were ignored. At 7:38am, three HCSO deputies fired multiple shots at the suspect.
Deputies rendered aid to the suspect on scene, and he was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
The following deputies were involved in this incident:
- Lieutenant William Gergel has been with HCSO for 35 years and has no prior use of force.
- Deputy Matthew Fluck has been with HCSO for one year and one month and has no prior use of force.
- Deputy Courtney Baldwin has been with HCSO for six months and has no prior use of force.
All three were placed on administrative leave with pay pending completion of the investigation.
“This was an extremely dangerous situation for our community. An individual armed with an assault rifle and dressed in tactical gear posed a real and immediate threat,” said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Our deputies acted quickly and decisively to protect lives and prevent further danger. Their actions reflect the bravery and commitment we ask of them every day.”
