RIVERVIEW — Authorities arrested a 26-year-old man who was shot during a gunfight with deputies early Sunday, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
Jamil Alejandro Valladares of Riverview is facing two counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer after he pulled his gun on deputies who were investigating a domestic dispute reported by Valladares' girlfriend. The deputies were not injured.
At about 1:15 a.m., a 24-year-old woman called 911 to report that Valladares had pulled her hair and ripped her robe during a fight and that he may be in possession of a gun, the Sheriff's Office said. Deputies Austin O'Neill, 26, and Joshua Berrios, 29, responded to the apartment she shared with Valladares at 9525 Grovedale Circle to interview her.
During the interview, the woman's mother arrived at the home and told O'Neill and Berrios she saw Valladares in the parking lot while getting a bag from her car, according to the Sheriff's Office. The uniformed deputies went outside and saw Valladares in front of his 2000 Mercury Mountaineer.
As O'Neill and Berrios approached Valladares, he backed away and became verbally aggressive. Valladares then placed his right hand in his shorts pocket and raised a Smith & Wesson .40-caliber handgun, authorities said.
The deputies pulled their guns and shot at Valladares, who was hit multiple times. At some point Valladares fired two rounds from his handgun. The spent shell casings were found at the scene near his gun. The Sheriff's Office originally reported he shot first, but spokesman Larry McKinnon said that was based on preliminary information and that the timing is unknown at this point.
"The information released on these type of incidents from the onset along with any subsequent releases is always preliminary, based on what's known at the time of each release," he said. "In this case and any other armed encounter with law enforcement officers, if you pull a firearm out on a known law enforcement official in a threatening manner there is a very high probability you will be shot."
The deputies were not hurt. O'Neill, who has been with the department for two years, and Berrios, who was hired six months ago, have been placed on routine paid administrative leave while authorities investigate the incident.
Valladares was taken to a hospital for treatment. He will be booked into the Hillsborough County jail system when he is medically cleared, the Sheriff's Office said. McKinnon said Valladares is expected to survive.
Contact Kathryn Varn at (727) 893-8913 or kvarn@tampabay.com. Follow @kathrynvarn.