Man shot and killed by deputies identified; K-9 injured in the shooting is stable

There was a deputy-involved shooting in Silver Springs involving a suspect, a K-9 and deputies on Saturday morning.

Sheriff's officials on Sunday released the name of the suspect, who died. They also provided an update on the K-9.

Here's what we know:

Where did the shooting occur? The 900 block of Northeast 144th Court in Silver Springs.

Who was shot? K-9 Leo and a suspect in a battery case.

What happened? According to sheriff's officials, they responded to a call for service for an alleged battery by strangulation case about 9 a.m. Saturday. Arriving on scene, deputies came in contact with the suspect in the back of a residence. Deputies said the suspect was armed and opened fire on them. They returned fire. The gunman and the K-9 were hit.

What's the condition of the victims? Officials said the suspect who was shot was transported to a local hospital and later died. On Sunday, sheriff's officials identified him as Jeremy Bradsher, 44.

Officials said the K-9 first went to a local veterinary hospital and then to a Gainesville veterinary hospital for further treatment. On Saturday, the K-9 was listed in stable condition, sheriff's officials said.

On Sunday, authorities said the dog was stable and recovering. Sheriff's officials said the K-9, a Belgian Malinois named Leo, has been with the agency since 2020 and is 4 years old. The K-9 handler, Cpl. Justin Tortora, and other deputies on scene were not injured during the shooting.

Tortora has been by his partner's side throughout the ordeal, deputies said. Because of the ongoing investigation, it's unknown how many times the dog was shot.

How did Bradsher get a gun? Officials said that question is being reviewed by Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

How many shots were fired? At this point law enforcement officials said it's under investigation.

How many deputies were involved in the shooting? Three. The names of the deputies have not been released yet.

What was the scene like? Deputies had several areas cordoned off by yellow crime scene tape. with deputies making sure only authorized personnel entered the scene. Detectives from the Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit were on scene and are conducting a separate investigation.

Who will be the lead agency looking into the shooting? FDLE. Typically, whenever there's a law enforcement-involved shooting, FDLE is called to investigate.

Is a lawyer representing any of the deputies? Yes. Local defense lawyer Jimmie Sparrow, a former Belleview Police Department officer and assistant state attorney, is the attorney for one deputy. Sparrow said his client is doing fine under the circumstances. He said FDLE will interview the deputy at another time. Sparrow said the deputy is on paid administrative leave for now.

Have there been any other deputy-involved shootings recently? Yes. Since 2017 there have been 12 deputy-involved shootings, nine of them fatal, according to sheriff's office records.

Man shot: The standoff lasted hours. Then the man exited the house and pointed his gun at deputies.

The last deputy involved shooting was on Dec. 31, when 41-year-old Steven Clark Jr. was shot by a deputy after the Ocala man pointed a gun at deputies.

Contact Austin L. Miller at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Sheriff's officials release name of man shot and killed Saturday