KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Dozens of law enforcement officers could be seen swarming an apartment complex after a Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent was injured in a shooting Tuesday afternoon in Kissimmee.
Sky 6 flew over Villa Del Sol around 4:30 p.m. and captured video of crime scene tape surrounding the complex. Several patrol vehicles, an ambulance and a crime scene unit could be seen.
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FDLE officials confirmed one of their agents was injured in a shooting in Kissimmee Tuesday afternoon and said they are expected to be OK. Investigators could not say for certain whether the agent was hit by gunfire but said the injury was to his face, possibly the result of breaking glass or being grazed by a bullet.
According to Lee Massie, Special Agent in Charge for the FDLE out of the Orlando Region, this started as the result of a narcotics investigation that began several weeks ago in Osceola County, which also extended into the Tampa area.
According to FDLE, the agent who was hurt in the shooting was from the Tampa region.
“Throughout the course of the investigation, there were conversations and transactions made. Today was going to be another narcotics deal,” Massie said. “There was a deal that was actually consummated and there was a second vehicle that was actually involved in the situation — we had undercover agents that were wearing identifying marked gear — follow the vehicle to a location down the street (the apartment complex) and as they pulled into the parking lot, that (suspect) vehicle parked. It appears as though — we don’t know exactly yet — but it appears as though the subject inside the vehicle immediately started to fire upon the law enforcement officers at which time they (the officers) returned fire, striking the individual inside the truck.”
Massie later clarified that only two FDLE agents opened fire during the exchange of gunfire. Kissimme police will be handling the investigation into the use of force by FDLE agents, according to Mark Brutnell, Special Agent in Charge for the FDLE out of the Tampa Region.
Investigators said there were two people inside the truck when law enforcement returned fire. According to Massie, only the shooter was hurt and the other person in the truck was uninjured. FDLE said the suspect is in critical following the shooting, but could not say how many times he was hit.
No names or possible charges of the two people involved in the narcotics deal have been released.
“Narcotics deals are dangerous, we saw that play out today. I’m just very thankful that our people are OK. They’re going home. It could have been a lot worse,” Brutnell said.
Police vehicles were also spotted at nearby Osceola Regional Medical Center at the same time. Investigators said that is where the man who opened fire on the agents was taken after the shooting.
Check back for more updates on this developing story.