Additional Coverage:
- Video: Deputy heroically saves young boy held hostage, takes down knife-wielding brother with single headshot (foxnews.com)
Hillsborough Deputy Lauded for Heroic Rescue, Fatal Shooting of Knife-Wielding Man
Hillsborough County, FL – A quick-thinking Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputy is being hailed as a hero after he fatally shot a knife-wielding man who was holding his 7-year-old brother hostage in a locked bedroom over the weekend. The dramatic rescue, captured on bodycam footage, unfolded Sunday afternoon during a frantic domestic violence call.
Deputy Anthony Gonzalez, 25, responded to a home near Tampa where 27-year-old Mario Camacho was reportedly choking his younger brother and brandishing a knife. Camacho’s sister, who made the 911 call, had also sustained superficial cuts and bleeding from her mouth.
Upon arrival, deputies learned Camacho had barricaded himself and the child in a back bedroom. Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer described the situation, stating, “For lack of a better term, he was hostage in his own house.” After repeated attempts to coax Camacho out failed, deputies heard the child’s desperate plea: “Break the door down!”
Bodycam footage shows Deputy Gonzalez kicking down the locked bedroom door, then navigating through a makeshift barricade of mattresses and furniture. He confronted Camacho, who was wearing a motorcycle helmet and two tactical vests with ballistic plates, holding the boy in a chokehold with one hand and a knife in the other.
Despite repeated commands to release the child, Camacho refused to comply. The video then shows Deputy Gonzalez firing a single, precise shot to the head, instantly incapacitating Camacho and freeing the terrified boy. Camacho was transported to Brandon Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
Authorities have commended Deputy Gonzalez’s actions as heroic, emphasizing that the child would likely have been severely harmed without the deputy’s swift intervention. “Yes, we rescued a boy, and yes, it could have been much worse,” Chief Deputy Maurer stated at a news conference. “There’s no doubt in my mind that the child would have been harmed if not for the actions of our deputies.”
While acknowledging the heroic rescue, authorities also recognized the tragic nature of the incident for the family, noting that domestic violence and mental health issues contributed to the situation. They urged anyone facing similar challenges to seek help. Camacho reportedly had two previous domestic violence charges and had been a suspect in a “Baker Act” incident, indicating he met the criteria for an involuntary mental health examination.
In accordance with department policy, Deputy Gonzalez has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending the completion of the investigation.