'Solid Leads' in Deputy's Shooting, Sheriff's Office Says

While no arrests have been made in the Thursday morning shooting of a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputy, the agency is reporting it has “solid leads” in the case.

The sheriff’s office also announced Friday that two other officers involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation’s outcome. Deputies Robert Klocksieben, 25, and David R. Mahoney, 29, along with Deputy Scott Ranney, 42, returned fire when shot upon, the sheriff’s office said.

Ranney was shot in the thigh during the incident and is recovering at home.

The shooting erupted after the three deputies responded to a call about shots fired in the 9400 block of Greystone Road in Thonotosassa around 12:30 a.m. As the three were searching the area on foot, someone began firing at them, the sheriff’s office wrote in an email to media.

Ranney has been employed by the sheriff’s office since July 2009. He started his career as a detention deputy and transitioned into patrol in December 2014. Klocksieben has worked for the agency since October 2013. Mahoney joined up in August 2013.

See Also:

• Details Emerge in Deputy’s Shooting
• Dramatic Gunfight on Water Ends With Cop Shot, 2 Arrested
• Cops Targeted in Shooting Spree, Chief Says

It is standard protocol for deputies involved in shooting incidents to be placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation, the sheriff’s office said.

As the shooting is reviewed, a search for the person responsible for firing upon the three officers continues.

“Detectives are working around clock and have developed some solid leads, however, we cannot publicly release any further details as to what’s been learned without compromising the investigation,” a Friday email from the sheriff’s office stated.

The shooting comes on the heels of a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer being injured in the line of duty in the Panhandle area after a gunfight erupted on the water. It also follows an incident last week that resulted in a Clearwater Police Department substation being fired upon.

Photo of Deputy Scott Ranney Courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office