Tampa Police Officer Cleared In Shooting At Apartment Complex

TAMPA, FL — The Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office has found that a Tampa police officer was justified in his use of deadly force against 28-year-old Jeremy De La Cruz-Liwag.

On Jan. 18 at 9:41 p.m., officers were called to the Bowery Bay apartment complex at 6401 S. Westshore Blvd. for a report of a man who was banging on the doors of apartments while carrying a gun and yelling incoherently.

A resident provided doorbell camera footage to responding officers and left the apartment in fear for his safety.

The two responding officers showed the video to another officer, who immediately recognized De La Cruz-Liwag based on his prior encounters with him.

The doorbell camera footage shows De La Cruz-Liwag knocking on his neighbor’s door and making comments about De La Cruz-Liwag’s dog. While De La Cruz-Liwag was at the door, his left arm was behind his back. When De La Cruz-Liwag moved, a firearm was visible in his left hand. When no one answered the door, De La Cruz-Liwag left.

After viewing the doorbell camera footage and attempting to call De La Cruz-Liwag several times with no response, five officers approached De La Cruz-Liwag’s apartment.

The officers were arranged in a line, with the 36-year-old officer who later fired his weapon positioned closest to the front door of the apartment. His body camera captured the entire interaction with De La Cruz-Liwag.

Before the officer had an opportunity to knock on the door, De La Cruz-Liwag opened the door and started to step outside. The officer attempted to speak with De La Cruz-Liwag, asking him whether he was the owner of the car parked in front of the apartment. Then he noticed that De La Cruz-Liwag had his right hand behind his back.

The officer ordered De La Cruz-Liwag to “come out here” and “let me see your hands.” De La Cruz-Liwag refused to show his right hand. He backed up into the apartment while producing a handgun from behind his right side and began to raise the gun in the direction of the first officer.

The officer, a six-year veteran of the police department, raised his own gun and fired three rounds at De La Cruz-Liwag, striking his abdomen and bicep. De La Cruz-Liwag fell in the entryway area of the apartment. The other officers pushed De La Cruz-Liwag away from the gun he'd been holding and removed it from the apartment.

Three other officers were equipped with body cameras that captured what occurred between De La Cruz-Liwag and the officer who fired his gun. Cruz-Liwag survived the gunshot wounds.

"After our thorough analysis, we have determined that the facts and evidence of this incident prove that the law enforcement officer reasonably believed he was in fear of imminent death or great bodily harm when he used deadly force," said the state attorney's office in a news release.

See related story: Video: Armed Man Shot After Pointing Gun At Police; Hospitalized