Review: Deputies failed to offer aid after shooting

A review by the Florida Department of Law Enforcements concludes that deputies with the Orange County Sheriff's Office failed to offer aide after a man was shot following a confrontation. The FDLE said the shooting itself was justified.

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) found a 2019 deputy-involved shooting to be justified, but it’s what happened after the incident that resulted in the termination of a law enforcement officer.

According to an internal affairs investigation, three Orange County Deputies did not render aid to Eddie Segura, a man who was shot eight times after attacking deputies in his East Orlando home in June of 2019.

Officials said Segura, 40, suffered from schizophrenia and was experiencing a mental health crisis.

The documents state one of the deputies, Angel Rivera, entered the patio where Seguro was shot and did not perform and life-saving measures. Rivera was later fired.

The report also says the other deputies, Thomas Sturgill and Jeffrey Ferris also did not render aid. During an interview, Sturgill told investigators, "in hindsight, he should have done that [checked for a pulse]."

Both deputies received 20 hours of discipline according to the Sheriff’s Office. That can either be a suspension, or they can "give back" 20 hours of leave time.

Florida Gulf Coast University professor Dr. David Thomas is a former law enforcement officer and trains law enforcement.
He says most agencies are equipped with first aid kits, tourniquets, and other gear to perform life-saving measures and standard procedure mandates deputies to use them.

"That first aid has to be rendered. It’s not something you think about, it’s automatic, and they’re trained for it to be automatic," he said.

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