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Man Sets House on Fire, Kills Florida Deputy in Ambush

A sheriff's deputy was shot dead after he and other first responders rushed to the the scene of a house fire Saturday, and the gunman was then killed.
Image:
This photo shows a home where authorities said a gunman set his house on fire and fatally shot the first deputy who arrived, on Nov. 22, in Tallahasse, Fla.Brendan Farrington / AP

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A man who had made previous threats against police set his house on fire Saturday and ambushed the first sheriff's deputy who responded, fatally shooting the deputy and wounding another before he was killed by a police officer who lives nearby, a law enforcement official said.

The man's name and address had been entered into a law enforcement computer system because of previous threats, but the 911 dispatcher who entered the fire call put in the address of a neighbor who reported the blaze, so the alert wasn't activated and the Leon County deputy who responded first had no warning, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information.

The gunman was hiding outside the house when the deputy approached about 10:15 a.m., the official said. He shot the deputy from behind, shot him again after he fell and then took the deputy's gun. The gunman then tried to take other weapons from the deputy's car, but they were locked down, said the official said, who had spoken to law enforcement officials handling the case.

He then shot another deputy, but that officer was saved by his bullet-proof vest. A Tallahassee police officer getting ready to work the Florida State University football game heard the shots, ran outside and fatally shot the gunman, who was hiding as other deputies and officers approached, the official said.

The names of the gunman and the dead and wounded deputies were not released.

"It is almost unimaginable that a call for help turned into the ambush of a Leon County Sheriff's Deputy and the shooting of another deputy by the assailant. Every one of these first responders is a hero and our hearts go out to them and their families," Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum said in a statement.

Neighbor Joan Cabbage could see two patrol cars pull into the cul-de-sac when she heard "pop, pop, pop, pop, pop" that she thought was from the house burning.

"I saw a fire truck and he started backing up real fast — I couldn't figure out why," she said. Her daughter, who had just left the house, then called to say police officers were running down the street with guns drawn. "That's when I knew something big was going on," she said.

Image:
This photo shows a home where authorities said a gunman set his house on fire and fatally shot the first deputy who arrived, on Nov. 22, in Tallahasse, Fla.Brendan Farrington / AP
— The Associated Press