- A Levy County deputy pursued Nicholas Joel Dellatorre after a traffic stop when Dellatorre fled and later pointed a firearm at the deputy during a foot chase in Dunnellon.
- The deputy fired at Dellatorre, striking him multiple times; Dellatorre was then taken into custody and transported to a hospital for treatment.
- The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting while Marion County Sheriff’s Office probes Dellatorre's possible crimes in its jurisdiction.
The Levy County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) released additional information about a Tuesday deputy-involved shooting that occurred after a man with an outstanding felony warrant allegedly pointed a firearm at a deputy during a foot pursuit in Dunnellon.
According to the LCSO release, a deputy observed Nicholas Joel Dellatorre, 35, driving a Ford pickup truck in the Inglis area of Levy County. The deputy recognized Dellatorre and knew he had an outstanding felony warrant.
The deputy conducted a traffic stop on County Road 40 east of Inglis. Dellatorre initially stopped but fled after the deputy ordered him to exit the vehicle.
The deputy pursued Dellatorre a short distance into Marion County. Dellatorre stopped the truck near the 23,200 block of West Highway 40 in Dunnellon after the vehicle became disabled. Dellatorre then fled on foot into a wooded area.
During a brief foot pursuit, Dellatorre allegedly produced a Model 1911-style firearm and pointed it at the deputy. The deputy responded by firing his weapon, striking Dellatorre multiple times.
Backup deputies from the LCSO and Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) arrived shortly afterward. They took Dellatorre into custody and requested emergency medical assistance.
Dellatorre was transported to a hospital for treatment. His firearm was recovered at the scene. No deputies were injured.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the deputy-involved shooting. The MCSO is investigating potential crimes allegedly committed by Dellatorre within its jurisdiction.
Not to put too fine a point on this, but this is how a goblin should be dealt with. The goblin chooses to do evil things and a good guy, in this case a deputy, comes along and puts a swift and certain end to the planned evil.
A good number of civilian good guys are gunning up and getting trained for this kind of encounter. The goblins will learn in short order to find another career path or to suffer the consequences of preying on the innocent.