New video released in deputy-involved shooting

The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office on Monday released video of a deputy-involved shooting that injured a robbery suspect on October 1.  The video from the Sheriff’s Office helicopter shows the robbery suspect as weaves his way through Seminole County in a black car and ultimately crashes at the busy intersection of State Road 436 and Aloma Avenue in Orange County. 

"There were 54 [cars at the intersection] but keep in mind that was just the north side of Aloma. We know that 3300 cars travel through that intersection in one hour," Sheriff Don Eslinger. 

The video shows the suspect getting out of his car and firing through the pack of cars at two Seminole County deputies.  Eslinger praised his deputies for returning fire without injuring the innocent people in the cars nearby.  

“Both investigators who discharge their firearm stay in the middle of the street and [do] not take cover behind an occupied vehicle," Eslinger said. 

According to Eslinger, the suspect, who has been identified as 21-year-old Christian Joy, was shot “eight or nine times.”  He was hospitalized and then jailed.  Investigator Brian Mahan was shot in the ankle.  Eslinger said Mahan is back to work and on light duty.  The other deputy was not injured. 

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case.
Eslinger said he expects the State’s Attorney to get the case later this week and he held the chopper video until he was confident that it would not compromise the investigation.