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Shooting of off-duty Hillsborough County detention deputy ruled accidental

The sheriff's office said a backpack containing a gun was dropped, causing the gun to discharge and hit the detention deputy and his girlfriend.
Credit: 10 Tampa Bay

On May 23, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of an off-duty detention deputy and his girlfriend being shot.

Based on evidence collected from the scene and an investigation, the sheriff's office announced Friday that the shooting was ruled accidental.

Samuel Rodriguez, an off-duty detention deputy, and his girlfriend Johana Rodriguez were both shot. Johana has gunshot wounds on both of her legs, and Samuel had a gunshot wound on his center chest.

Detectives said Johana has a concealed weapons permit, and on May 23 the couple took their children swimming at another home. Deputies said Johana put the gun inside the small front pocket of a backpack.

Investigators say at one point, while inside a bedroom, one of the kids grabbed the backpack not knowing there was a gun inside. Deputies said Johana grabbed the backpack away from the child, but the bag fell to the ground and hit the floor, causing the gun to discharge.

Investigators said the bullet hit Johana's left calf then continued upward and entered the back side of her right thigh and exited at an upward angle to the outer right side. The bullet continued still and entered Samuel's chest.

During the investigation, detectives found the holster had a small crack at the bottom, and the backpack contained some gunpowder residue consistent with the Rodriguez's story.

According to the sheriff's office, Johana said she tried to call 911, but the call did not connect. She then called Danny Alvarez, a family friend and a civilian employee of the sheriff's office, who went to the hospital and was later interviewed by detectives.

The sheriff's office said detectives interviewed the child and sent the gun and spent shell casing to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for testing. It was later determined that the gun functioned properly, and the investigation ruled the shooting accidental.

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