Brandon Pedestrian Struck, Killed By Sheriff's Detention Deputy

BRANDON, FL — The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is investigating a fatal pedestrian accident in Brandon involving an off-duty sheriff's detention corporal.

Around 6 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 27, Cpl. Justin Rhodes, 39, was on his way to work at the Orient Road Jail in his personal vehicle when he thought he hit a garbage can in the 800 block of Wheeler Road.

Rhodes stopped and got out of his vehicle to check for damage. He called the sheriff's office dispatch center and told the dispatcher that he saw garbage cans knocked over and had some damage to his vehicle but, since there was no other property damage, he said there was no need to send out a deputy.

At 6:25 a.m., a call came into 911 reporting a person lying on the ground in the same area. Deputies arrived and found a 54-year-old man dead. The man's name has not been released.

Deputies determined that Rhodes hit the man while he was standing near the garbage cans. It's unclear at this time if the man was in the road at the time of the crash.

Rhodes, who has worked for the sheriff's office since 2004, is not facing any charges or administrative action since the accident occurred outside of his official capacity as a deputy. The case is being sent to the State Attorney's Office for review.