Deputy Shot At Tampa Park: Hillsborough County Sheriff

TAMPA, FL — A suspect shot at deputies, injuring one, at a Tampa park Sunday morning, according to a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office news release.

The deputies were patrolling the Beacon Meadows Park area just before 10 a.m. when they encountered Anthony Carpenter, who had been trespassed from the park the day before.

Deputies asked him to leave, spending more than 20 minutes trying to deescalate the situation, the sheriff’s office said. Carpenter refused to leave, putting his hand in and out of his coat’s pockets.

They asked him several times if he was armed, but he told deputies that he wasn’t, the agency said.

After deputies tased Carpenter, he shot at them three times while he was on the ground, hitting one deputy.

Deputy Kerr Craige, 33, was brought to a local hospital and released.

Other deputies involved in the incident were Joseph Lopez, 60, and Sean Bush, 38.

"Today's situation could have ended in tragedy. Thankfully, our deputy narrowly escaped serious injury despite the careless actions of this suspect," Sheriff Chad Chronister said. "Not only was the deputy's life endangered today, but the lives of those around him were also at risk."