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(NewsNation) — Two Florida sheriff’s deputies were hit by a car and seriously injured while responding to a call from a woman who feared her son was behaving violently.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputies Cpl. Carlos Brito, 39, and Deputy Manuel Santos, 31, were critically injured in the incident and taken to Tampa General Hospital for treatment.
The pair were called to a home in Brandon, Florida, where a woman said she was afraid of her son, who had been acting violently. Ralph Bouzy, 28, was seated in a vehicle in the driveway when they arrived. He refused to speak to the officers and drove away.
Shortly after, Bouzy returned. Video shows him accelerating his car as he headed toward the two deputies standing outside a marked patrol SUV, hitting both of them. A third deputy jumped out of the way to avoid being hit.
“There is no other way to describe this other than an ambush,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Our deputies put their lives on the line every day to protect this community and what happened today makes me absolutely sick.”
NewsNation affiliate WFLA reported Brito was more seriously injured, with a piece of his femur stuck between the car. He is facing possible amputation of his leg. Santos also had significant leg injuries. Brito has served the county since 2013 and Santos since 2019.
Bouzy has an arrest record that includes three felonies and 14 misdemeanors and is now facing three charges of attempted murder on a law enforcement officer.