A man
whose Instagram live-streamed encounter with Orange County deputies ended in gunfire Wednesday night fired the first shots, after having earlier dragged his wife from a car by her hair, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The agency released body camera video Thursday afternoon which showed the suspect, 23-year-old Laforest Duron Gray Jr., drawing a silver revolver and pointing it toward deputies. A slowed-down version of the recording appeared to confirm he fired first.
An arrest affidavit also identified the three deputies who traded gunfire with 23-year-old Laforest Duron Gray Jr. as deputies Bethany Rising, Nicholas Gramazio and Jason Martin.
No one was shot during the encounter at the Citra at
Windermere apartments, near
Winter Garden Vineland and Reams roads. Gray was bitten by a police dog while being arrested, records show.
According to the affidavit, the incident began when a man who was driving through the apartment saw Gray’s wife, Rachel Gray, who was walking and “looked like she was in distress.” The man offered to help, but she refused, he told investigators.
However, the man said Rachel Gray changed her mind and ran to his car after Laforest Gray exited the couple’s apartment. She got in the back seat and said, “Please help,” he told deputies.
Laforest Gray followed her to the car, opened the door and dragged her out, punching her and ignoring the driver’s demands that he leave, the affidavit states. Another witness described seeing Laforest Gray drag his wife down the street by her hair toward their apartment.
One of the witnesses called 911.
The first deputy to arrive was Kyle Brenard, who said he found the couple arguing in their garage. He said Laforest Gray kept one hand hidden from view, ignoring commands to show his hands by Brenard and later Rising, Gramazio and Martin, when they arrived.
Laforest Gray live-streamed much of the subsequent encounter, which showed deputies shining a spotlight on him in the garage. He is heard cursing at the deputies from behind a Camaro, challenging them to “pull up” while his wife urges him to calm down.
Just before the gunfire, he told the camera, “You’ll finna see this [expletive] live, bro. …I’ll take one for the team, yo.”
While it’s wasn’t clear from his video who fired first, the deputies said Laforest Gray pulled a handgun and opened fire toward them, prompting them to also fire. In the body camera footage, it appears that Gray fired a shot as he drew and aimed his gun, moments before the return fire.
A witness also said Gray shot first, according to the affidavit.
Laforest Gray was taken to the Orange County Jail after being treated at Orlando Regional Medical Center. Corrections deputies “had to use force to subdue him” at the jail, authorities said.
Deputies said a .38 caliber revolver was found in the open trunk of the Camaro, with three spent cartridge casings and two live rounds.
According to the affidavit, Rachel Gray “was uncooperative and denied anything happened, or that Laforest had a gun.” Laforest Gray refused to give a statement to investigators, the document said.
Laforest Gray faces four counts of attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer with a firearm and one count each of resisting an officer with violence, burglary of a conveyance with battery and domestic violence battery, jail records show.
He was being held without bail Thursday morning. If convicted on the attempted-murder charges, he faces life in prison.
Staff writer David Harris contributed.
Wow... imagine if he had been killed. I can see it now... the crying battered and abused wife on local news "He didnt even donuffin... he didnt even have no gun he didnt shoot at no one"
/cue pictures of him when he was ten years old dressed up in a church outfit
/cue marches and riots