BRANDON, Fla. — Neighbors are still shaken after a deadly deputy-involved shooting on Alpine Drive in Brandon on Sunday. The incident occurred when a 27-year-old man held his 7-year-old brother hostage with a knife.
"I'm still feeling it, you know," said Carol Thomlison, who lives across the street and witnessed the incident unfold.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said Mario Camacho was wearing tactical gear and experiencing a mental health crisis when he attacked his 18-year-old sister and held his brother at knifepoint.
Body-worn camera footage captured deputies asking Camacho to drop the weapon. The boy can be heard crying out to deputies to break down the door before a deputy decided to fire his gun, killing Camacho and saving the child.
"I was doing my laundry in there, and I came out and there were police cars everywhere. I had no clue what was going on," said Thomlison.
Despite the trauma of witnessing the event, Thomlison said she believes deputies made the right decision.
"They did what they had to do to save that little boy, and I thank God for police officers, really," said Thomlison. "Even if someone did have mental health, they still lost a son, you know, and that's sad."
The sheriff's office said domestic violence and mental health played central roles in the incident. Camacho had two previous domestic violence charges out of Polk County that didn't lead to convictions, and was previously Baker Acted in Volusia County.
Clara Reynolds, CEO of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, said law enforcement had no other option given the dangerous situation.
"We're so fortunate in this community to have such amazing law enforcement who are trained in recognizing behavioral health crisis and being able to de-escalate it," said Reynolds. "That just wasn't an option because somebody else's child's life was in danger in that situation. Law enforcement only had one thing that they could do."
Reynolds emphasized that while people experiencing mental health crises should reach out for help, situations involving weapons require immediate law enforcement intervention.
"I think you could have called 9-8-8 or a different number if the individual didn't have a lethal mean, i.e., a knife. But once you have a knife, a gun, or access to any of those things, that takes us to a whole different level, and law enforcement - calling 9-1-1 is the absolute the only thing you really can do," said Reynolds.
Anyone needing help can call 211 to reach the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.
Share Your Story with Annette
Annette Gutierrez knows safety is important for every community. She’s focused on finding solutions and getting results for both crime and our roads. She takes pride in sharing stories from Sarasota and Manatee counties, so send Annette tips on how she can help.
.
Florida contractor accused of taking thousands for countertops that were never installed
Two Tampa Bay customers say Elite Countertops owner Jose Canete took thousands in deposits but never installed promised quartz countertops.
