Deputy shoots and injures suicidal woman who had gun outside AdventHealth Ocala hospital

A woman was in critical condition Tuesday after a Marion County Sheriff's Office deputy shot her as she approached AdventHealth Ocala hospital with a gun in her hand.

Here's an explanation of what happened

At 1:20 a.m., a deputy tried to stop the woman while she was driving in the 5400 block of Southwest College Road (State Road 200.) Deputies said she was speeding.

When she failed to stop a pursuit ensued, according to a sheriff's office account of the incident.

Negligence alleged: Ocala boy, 4, shot himself in the hand. He was injured; the gun's owner was arrested

Two shooters, no charges: Fatal encounter at Pilot near I-75 may have been self-defense

Prosecutors explain: Ocala woman fatally struck a motorcyclist in July, but the state won't prosecute. Here's why

During the pursuit, the woman called 911 to report that she was suicidal and heading to AdventHealth Ocala, 1500 SW First Ave., Ocala, according to the sheriff's office. A deputy could see that she was holding a gun to her head.

Deputies said Ocala police officers assisted them with the chase by putting out stop sticks, which eventually were successful. Stop sticks were at two locations: Southwest First Avenue and 10th Street and the 1400 block of Southwest First Avenue.

The chase ended at AdventHealth, where the woman parked near the ambulance bay. Deputies ordered the woman to stay in her vehicle. But the woman got out of her vehicle and had a gun in her hand, the sheriff's office said.

Deputies repeatedly told her to stop, but she ran toward the hospital entrance. A deputy fired a shot, wounding her, the sheriff's office said.

The distance from where the pursuit began and where it ended is roughly six miles.

The woman was being treated at a hospital – deputies did not say which one – on Tuesday. Authorities won't say what part of the woman's body was hit.

AdventHealth Ocala hospital's statement

The woman could face charges of fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer while armed and possession of a firearm during commission of a felony.

The sheriff's office did not release the woman's name, age or hometown. It did say she was on pretrial release in a criminal case where she's charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and cocaine possession.

The Ocala Police Department helped secure the scene at the shooting location, deputies said. AdventHealth was on lockdown during the incident.

Ashley Jeffery, a spokeswoman at the hospital, said the facility was locked down for half an hour.

Next step: The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will continue investigating

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting. The woman's vehicle, a Volkswagen minivan, was still sitting at Southwest Third Avenue and Southwest 13th Street early Tuesday. By mid-morning, the scene had been cleared.

Before the scene was cleared, there had been three sheriff's vehicles behind the Volkswagen and a yellow crime scene tape had been used to isolate the area. The right front tire of the minivan was flat.

FDLE officials are expected to interview anyone connected to the shooting, including deputies.

After wrapping up the scene, FDLE agents will continue their investigation and submit their report to the State Attorney's Office for review. That agency will look at the case and decide the next steps.

Although sheriff's officials said the woman could face charges, prosecutors said they would review the case before making any filing decisions.

Ocala defense lawyer Jimmy Sparrow, a former local prosecutor and detective for the Belleview Police Department, is representing the deputy connected with the shooting.

Sparrow didn't say much about his client, other than he's OK, considering the circumstances.

Sheriff's officials said the deputy, whose name was not released, is on paid leave, as is standard in these kinds of cases. He has worked with the agency a little more than three years as a road patrol deputy.

The sheriff's office has had seven deputy-involved shootings since 2017

Since 2017, the sheriff's office has had seven deputy-involved shootings. The last shooting was in November. Of the seven, five have been fatal.

Aside from the woman involved in Tuesday's case, the other survivor is David A. Riley. Shot seven times by deputies in 2019, Riley was treated and later released from a hospital.

Charged with stalking, resisting an officer with violence and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, Riley's lawyer and the SAO agreed to a plea deal last year where he received three years of probation after he pleaded no contest.

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Armed and suicidal woman shot by deputy outside Ocala, Florida hospital