Hillsborough deputies shoot, injure man they say was reaching for gun

Hillsborough sheriff’s deputies shot and critically injured a man Monday when he reached for a gun as the deputies were trying to arrest him, according to Sheriff Chad Chronister.

Chronister addressed the news media a little after 2:30 p.m. at the intersection of McIntosh and Thonotosassa roads, saying a shed behind him, located in the 10300 block of McIntosh Road, was where two deputies shot 35-year-old Dewayne Davis while trying to take him into custody on outstanding warrants.

The events that led law enforcement to the shed began April 20, according to Chronister.

That day, he said, Davis got into an argument with a relative in a trailer on McIntosh Road over who was entitled to compensation for work done to the trailer.

The argument escalated and Davis shot the relative in the leg, according to Chronister.

Deputies had a warrant for Davis on charges of violating his probation by carrying a concealed weapon and aggravated battery for the shooting.

On Monday, just after 10:30 a.m., deputies were in the area as part of the Sheriff’s Office’s “Walk It Like I Talk It” program. Created in 2019, the community policing program requires deputies to spend an hour at least one day a week walking in neighborhoods and talking with citizens.

During the deputies’ interaction with community members, they were informed that Davis was in the area, according to Chronister.

After deputies closed in on a smaller area, they found Davis’ girlfriend, Dana Rice, 31. Deputies asked the woman if Davis was in a small shed on the property located next to the RV where the April 20 shooting occurred, Chronister said, and Rice said he may or may not be in the shed.

“Having reasonable suspicion that a wanted subject is in someplace is all we need to force entry into whatever place that may be,” Chronister said.

Deputies called for backup, including a K-9 unit to search the shed, the Sheriff’s Office said in a media release.

There was a padlock on the outside of the shed door, Chronister said. The deputies knocked on the shed door for several minutes and asked Davis to surrender.

“They were imploring the individual to come out,” Chronister said.

Eventually, deputies cut the padlock and opened the door and Sgt. Jason Goff and Deputy Charles Perdomo entered.

Chronister described the shed as small, about 8 feet by 8 feet, and cluttered — with little room to move. A Sheriff’s Office dog was released into the shed and went to an area where there were clothes, a beanbag and a blanket.

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The dog immediately went to the blanket, and deputies found Davis hiding underneath it. Davis then sat up abruptly and pointed a gun at them, Chronister said.

The deputies tried to negotiate with Davis, who put down his gun and stood with his hands up, according to Chronister.

As Goff and Perdomo were arresting Davis, he turned his back and made a reaching motion toward two guns that were on the ground nearby — the one Davis had dropped and an AR-15-style rifle, according to Chronister.

Goff and Perdomo shot Davis several times in his upper torso. Davis was taken to Tampa General Hospital, where he is in critical condition, Chronister said.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting, Chronister said. No one else was injured.

Goff and Perdomo have not had any use of force incidents, Chronister said. Goff has been with the Sheriff’s Office since 1998, and Perdomo has been with the Sheriff’s Office since 1995.

This is a developing story. Stay with tampabay.com for updates.