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28-year-old Ralph Bouzy has been charged with three counts of attempted murder of law enforcement officers after he drove his vehicle into two Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office deputies during an "ambush" attack.
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office released surveillance and body camera footage of the incident.
In a statement, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister noted:
"There is no other way to describe this other than an ambush. Our deputies put their lives on the line every day to protect this community and what happened today makes me absolutely sick."
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, both officials, 39-year-old Corporal Carlos Brito and 31-year-old Deputy Manuel Santos, were taken to the Tampa General Hospital and underwent surgery for critical injuries.
A woman reported Ralph Bouzy to be in a "mental health crisis" to authorities
NBC Miami reported that on the morning of November 2, 2023, in Brandon, near Tampa, deputies with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office responded to a call from a woman who mentioned being in fear of her son, who was reportedly acting violently.
A statement from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office read,
"The HCSO Communications Center received a call at 7:44 a.m. from a woman stating that her son was in a mental health crisis at their home in Brandon."
According to the report by NBC Miami, the responding deputies encountered Ralph Bouzy in a car outside the residence. However, when they tried to make contact with him, he declined and drove away.
Following that, just after 8 am, Ralph returned and deliberately accelerated his vehicle in the direction of the deputies, leading to one of the officials to jump out of the way of the vehicle just as it crashed into their patrol vehicle.
The New York Post reported that two other deputies who were present at the scene pursued Ralph after he got out of his car and tased him when he did not surrender.
In the bodycam footage, right before the Taser was used, one of the deputies could be heard saying:
"Taser, taser, taser. Get on the ground right now."
According to the footage, following being hit, Ralph Bouzy fell over and was apprehended by the authorities.
Ralph Bouzy has a criminal record
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office mentioned that Ralph Bouzy has been in trouble with the law in the past. Earlier, he had been apprehended for three felonies and 14 misdemeanors.
In a statement, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office mentioned that Corporal Brito and Deputy Santos, the two officials almost hit by the speeding car, are on the path of recovery and asked the public for donations.
As per the statement, the funds collected through the Lynn Sowers Memorial Foundation will help cover medical expenses, rehabilitation, and any other support required for them and their families.
Apart from the charge of attempted murder of law enforcement officers, Ralph Bouzy can face other additional charges.
