WARNING: The above video features graphic content.
A Volusia County Sheriff’s Deputy and a DeLand police officer shot and injured a suspect during an armed encounter recently. According to police, the suspect, 33-year-old Dillon Parker, attempted to drive head-on at one Volusia County deputy before opening fire. Dash cam footage shows one officer engage the suspect by firing through his own cruiser’s windshield.
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Two officers returned fire, shooting Parker in the chest and the leg. Deputies and police immediately rendered first air to Parker at the scene, and authorities airlifted the suspect to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach. Parker was listed in critical condition but expected to survive, according to a news release from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. All officers involved avoided injury in the incident.
Authorities already wanted Parker in connection to a Nov. 10 shooting in DeLeon Springs. Parker faces attempted murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and felony battery charges.
The incident took place after a deputy spotted Parker’s vehicle, leading the suspect to drive toward the law enforcement officer’s cruiser, seemingly to ram it head on. Deputies pursued and forced Parker’s vehicle into a ditch. Parker then started shooting at the responding officer.
Parker threw away a firearm when those law enforcement officers approached him to render aid after the shooting.
Volusia County Sheriff & DeLand Police
“They’re going home tonight to their families; that’s the most important thing,” Sheriff Chitwood said of the deputies and police officer involved. “…These guys did what they had to do today. They certainly didn’t come to work to shoot somebody. But the person that they were trying to take down and arrest clearly wanted to make sure that they didn’t go home to their families.”
“I’m very proud of his effort and the effort of these Volusia County deputy sheriffs,” DeLand Police Chief Jason Umberger said. “Every day, we have law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to take into custody dangerous felons like this. And you can see today how violent he was. He was not going to surrender. He was going to try to take out police and kill police officers. So thank God their training kicked in and they were able to take him into custody.”