RIVERVIEW, Fla. — The Hillsborough County deputy who fatally shot an elderly man in December 2021 while attempting to do a welfare check inside his home will not face criminal charges, according to the Hillsborough State Attorney's Office.
After an "exhaustive review of all available evidence and applicable legal standards," the office says the deputy's use of deadly force was justified.
Authorities, at the time of the shooting, identified the law enforcement officer involved as Deputy Anastacia Castillo. Investigators say she arrived on scene after a neighbor of 88-year-old Ronald Ehrich called first responders expressing concern about the well-being of the older man.
The neighbor said Ehrich's garage door had been opened and she had not seen him in at least two days. That's when the State Attorney's Office says Deputy Castillo began to perform a welfare check at the home.
During the welfare check, Deputy Castillo announced herself several times, calling out "Sheriff's Office" repeatedly as she moved through the home. Body camera footage also shows she used her flashlight to try to make it abundantly clear she was a deputy in uniform, according to Sheriff Chad Chronister.
The State Attorney's Office says Ehrich stepped out of a bedroom armed with a gun which caused Deputy Castillo to retreat and take cover in another room while continuing to announce herself as a sheriff's deputy.
"Sir, drop that gun," Chronister said the deputy told Ehrich while she held her service weapon.
"I don't want to do this," Castillo can be heard saying on video.
The State Attorney's Office says, in the end, Castillo gave commands for Ehrich to drop his gun more than a dozen times.
"Ehrich responded that he was prepared to shoot her and continued to advance down the hallway toward the deputy. With his gun in hand, Ehrich stepped through the doorway into the room where the deputy had taken cover," the SAO wrote.
Castillo is reported to have fired her gun three times, striking Ehrich in the head and chest. The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner determined the 88-year-old died as a result of the gunshot wounds.
"After our thorough analysis, we have determined that the facts and evidence of this incident prove that the deputy reasonably believed she was in fear of imminent death or great bodily harm when she used deadly force. She also did not have a duty to retreat," the SAO wrote.
Deputy Castillo has worked with the agency since 2015 and had no internal affairs history, according to officials. Following the shooting was placed on paid administrative leave, which is protocol in these situations.
“There is no other way to describe this other than tragic,” Sheriff Chronister said at the time. “This deputy went in to save a life, expecting to find someone experiencing a medical emergency. She made every attempt to deescalate the situation before being forced to fire her weapon for her own safety.”
The Tampa Police Department confirmed Ehrich was a police officer in the 1970s. Years later, he served as a security officer at a now-defunct bank.
There were questions surrounding Ehrich's hearing abilities at the time of the shooting; but the sheriff's office said it was unable to disclose information on the man's medical history.
A statement from Ehrich's family, from the time of the shooting, can be found here.