Who is Luis Diaz Polanco? No bond for Florida man accused of attempted murder of 2 Volusia County deputies
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida man is accused of attempting to kill two Volusia County deputies, in which he reportedly admitted he would have been "forced to kill" the officers had he not run out of ammunition.
What we know:
Luis Diaz Polanco, 31, is facing two felony counts of attempted premeditated first-degree murder.
Who is Luis Diaz Polanco?
Polanco is accused of shooting at two Volusia County deputies around 5:30 p.m., March 2, who responded to a Deltona residence regarding reported criminal mischief. One deputy was injured; the second was not.
Prior battery charges
Polanco told deputies he argued with his mother earlier in the day – around 5 a.m., March 2 – and confronted his mom’s friend while armed. The deputies responded to a Deltona residence after the woman reported that her friend's son – named Luis – was acting "erratically" and hit the hood of her car, a Volusia County arrest affidavit said. While officers weren't able to establish probable cause for assault/battery, they continued to investigate the criminal mischief – leading them to a home in Deltona.
Polanco was previously accused of battery on Aug. 10, 2024 in connection to allegedly grabbing two elderly people – over 65 years old – and throwing them out of a car he was operating as a Lyft driver. An elderly woman in this situation was injured, however, on Aug. 19, 2024, the State Attorney's office decided not to prosecute this case.
The Volusia County Sheriff's office responds to a deputy-involved shooting on March 2, 2026.
Affidavit: Admitted to smoking marijuana hours prior
Polanco said he purchased a greenish-colored gun for $600 in Sanford.
He also said he last smoked marijuana at 11 a.m., Monday.
Luis Diaz Polanco, 31, is accused of shooting at two Volusia County deputies, injuring one.
A history of mental health issues
Polanco told deputies he’d been off his prescribed schizophrenia medication for a month after missing an appointment.
He said he intentionally fired at the deputies, thinking ballistics vests would protect them, but later said that if he hadn’t run out of ammunition, he would have continued shooting and would have been "forced to kill" the deputy, the arrest affidavit said.
Sheriff Chitwood said Polanco has a history of mental health issues and aggressive or violent interactions with neighbors and family members. He added that Polanco was taken into custody of June 2025 for a mental health evaluation.
Read more: Volusia County deputy in stable condition after body cam deflects bullet to shoulder
The Volusia County Sheriff's office responds to a deputy-involved shooting on March 2, 2026.
What led to the shooting?
Two deputies with the Volusia County Sheriff's office – Jose Rivera and Jacob Gomez-Lopez – responded to a Deltona home after a report of Polanco hitting his mom's friend's car.
At the home, deputies spoke with a man in the backyard and asked him where Polanco was. The man pointed to inside the home, the affidavit said.
When deputies went to the front door, Polanco "appeared surprised," – the affidavit said – and pointed a gun at the deputies and fired multiple times before retreating inside.
During the shooting, Deputy Rivera was hit twice – once in the chest, with the bullet hitting his body camera and ricocheting into his shoulder, and once in the thigh, Sheriff Chitwood said on March 2.
Deputy Gomez-Lopez – who was not harmed – took cover behind a neighbor's home and reported that shots were fired and requested assistance, the affidavit said. When additional deputies arrived, Gomez-Lopez described the suspect, saying he fired a tan-colored gun at the deputies.
Responding deputies found Rivera two houses away. He was transported to the hospital for treatment of multiple gunshot wounds. As of March 3, Rivera is in stable condition.
Over 20 bullet casings found
Investigators found a tan/green colored gun in the home, along with 12 bullet casings leading from the front door to the yard. Six additional casings were found in front of the neighbor’s home, the arrest affidavit said.
What's next:
Polanco is being held at the Volusia County Branch Jail. At his first appearance on March 3, Polanco was issued no bond.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from a Volusia County arrest affidavit.