CLERMONT, Fla. – An officer-involved shooting Friday night put an 81-year-old man in the hospital after he fired a gun and drew a law enforcement presence to his residence while first responders tended to a medical call placed by his wife, according to the Clermont Police Department.
The Clermont Fire Department and Lake EMS at 8:15 p.m. responded to the call in the 1400 block of W. Highway 50, where the man — later identified Saturday as Wallace Sims Wainwright — brandished a firearm shortly after crews’ arrival and began firing it, police said.
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According to a news release, the firefighters and paramedics left the scene immediately to seek safety, where they then called police.
Clermont officers were shot at as soon as they arrived, police said. Wainwright stopped shooting upon being struck by an officer who returned fire, the release stated.
No officers, firefighters or paramedics were injured in the shooting, police said. Wainwright was hospitalized and is reportedly in stable condition, while his wife — who police said was relocated to a safe area — suffered no injuries, according to the release.
Wainwright faces charges of attempted felony murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, police said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now investigating the shooting, police said. Following FDLE protocol, the officer who shot Wainwright was placed on paid, administrative leave pending the investigation.
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