A woman staying at the Gainesville La Quinta Inn was shot by deputies Monday, after she refused to obey commands to drop the handgun she was holding.
Alachua County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the La Quinta Inn, at 908 Northwest 69th Terrace, for a welfare check, according to an ACSO social media release. Hotel management had not seen the woman leave her room since Saturday, and her room was locked with a deadbolt.
Deputies attempted to knock and announce their presence, but eventually called Alachua County Fire Rescue to forcibly enter the hotel room after receiving no response.
Inside the room, deputies discovered an empty firearm holster on the bed. They also noticed the bathroom door was locked.
Deputies forcibly entered the bathroom after issuing verbal commands in order to confirm the woman’s well-being, according to the social media release.
The woman was armed with a handgun and shot by deputies after allegedly refusing to obey commands to drop the weapon. She was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. No deputies were harmed.
Pursuant to standard procedure, the deputies involved were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of two simultaneous investigations by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the ACSO Office of Professional Standards. These investigations will determine whether the shooting was lawful and followed proper sheriff’s office protocol.
ACSO hasn’t publicly released details about how many deputies were involved or how many gunshot wounds the woman suffered as of Tuesday morning.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Contact Daniel Bednar at dbednar@alligator.org. Follow him on X @Danielbednar5.
Daniel Bednar is a first-year political science major and the Criminal Justice reporter for The Alligator. When he's not writing, you can find him scuba diving in the Keys or flying airplanes.
