RUSKIN, Fla. — Two Hillsborough County deputies were shot Thursday morning after a domestic violence suspect opened fire on them in an ambush, and the gunman was killed by a third deputy who returned fire, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
How the Attack Unfolded
Sheriff Chad Chronister said the incident traced back to Wednesday night, when 34-year-old Christopher Dmuchowski allegedly held his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint inside his apartment.
The woman later escaped and reported the incident at HCSO’s District Four office. Deputies then tracked Dmuchowski to his home on West Shell Point Road, aware he was armed.
Because of the danger, deputies launched a surveillance drone to monitor the apartment rather than approach directly. When the drone operator spotted Dmuchowski walking toward his car in the parking lot, deputies moved in.
Deputies Struck During Gunfire
Deputy Sopharmony Muon, 33, was the first to reach the scene, and Dmuchowski immediately began firing, hitting Muon in the face. He then turned his gun on Deputy Colton Daniels, striking him in the neck. Body camera audio captured Daniels shouting that he had been hit and was still inside his car.
A third deputy, Sergeant Harrison Bashner, approached from behind and fired at Dmuchowski, who went down near his vehicle. Video from Bashner’s camera and the drone reportedly showed the suspect collapse partially beneath the car.
Another deputy rushed to help Muon, who was bleeding from his face and hand, and applied a tourniquet before getting him to safety.
Deputies Expected to Recover
All three men, Daniels, Muon, and Dmuchowski, were taken to Tampa General Hospital. The suspect was pronounced dead early that afternoon, while both deputies were reported alive, alert, and able to speak by phone with each other soon after the shooting.
Chronister credited training and quick response for saving the deputies’ lives, saying the suspect intended to kill them and would have succeeded without the actions of the deputy who returned fire. He also thanked dispatchers for helping coordinate the response under pressure.
Muon has served with the sheriff’s office for two years, and Daniels has been a deputy for four years. Bashner, credited with stopping the gunman, has spent 28 years with the department.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now investigating the shooting, which is standard procedure for incidents involving deputy-involved gunfire. Officials say there is no ongoing threat to the public, and the sheriff’s office plans to release additional body camera and drone footage from the encounter, with the deceased’s image blurred.
Both deputies remain hospitalized as they continue recovering from their injuries.
