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A Florida sheriff’s deputy heroically rescued a 7-year-old boy over the weekend by stopping his knife-wielding older brother with a single, precise shot to the head, authorities said.
Bodycam footage has captured the moment the deputy kicked down a locked bedroom door after hearing the boy’s desperate cries for help, moments before opening fire.
The incident happened Sunday when Deputy Anthony Gonzalez, 25, responded to a frantic domestic violence call at a home near Tampa, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. The suspect, Mario Camacho, 27, was reportedly armed with a knife and choking his younger brother.
Camacho’s sister, who placed the 911 call, had also been injured, suffering superficial cuts and bleeding from her mouth, officials said.
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Deputy Anthony Gonzalez holds a gun toward a bedroom door on Nov. 2, 2025, in Florida. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
When the deputies arrived, Camacho had taken the brother “in a back bedroom with a knife and was holding him against his will,” Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer said during a news conference. “For lack of a better term, he was hostage in his own house.”
After repeated attempts to tell the suspect to come out, deputies then heard the child screaming, “break the door down!” and kicked down the door, according to the officials.
The deputy was seen on video struggling through makeshift barricades of mattresses and furniture before confronting Camacho, who was holding the boy in a chokehold with one hand while brandishing a knife in the other. Authorities said Camacho was wearing a motorcycle helmet and two tactical vests with ballistic plates.
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A bedroom door barricaded by a mattress at a Florida home on Nov. 2, 2025. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
Tensions escalated as the suspect appeared to ignore repeated commands to release the child as the deputy aimed his gun. Video shows the deputy firing a single shot to the head, killing the suspect and instantly freeing the crying boy.
The suspect was transported to Brandon Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at 2:47 p.m., authorities said.
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Man in motorcycle helmet holds young child in a chokehold in a bedroom home on Nov. 2, 2025, in Hillsborough County. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
Authorities described the incident as heroic on the part of the deputy but tragic for the family. They noted that domestic violence and mental health issues contributed to the situation and urged anyone facing similar challenges to seek help.
“Yes, we rescued a boy, and yes, it could have been much worse,” Maurer added. “There’s no doubt in my mind that the child would have been harmed if not for the actions of our deputies. But right now in the aftermath of that heroic action is a family that has to pick up the pieces.”
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Authorities said the suspect had two previous domestic violence charges, neither of which resulted in a conviction, and was also a suspect of a Baker Act, which generally indicates that he met the legal criteria for an involuntary mental health examination.
Deputy Gonzalez has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending the completion of the investigation, in accordance with department policy.
