Two Tampa Bay area sheriff’s deputies were shot at early Sunday, just hours after the burial of a Tarpon Springs police officer who was fatally shot last weekend, leaving local law enforcement on edge.
Three gunshots were fired at the two deputies while they sat in separate patrol cars monitoring traffic in Dade City at the intersection of 21st and Lock streets, the Tampa Bay Times reported. The shooting occurred about 3:30 a.m., police said.
Neither deputy was injured, and no arrests have reportedly been made.
The shooting happened just hours after the burial of Tarpon Springs police Officer Charles Kondek, a former NYPD officer who was shot and killed Dec. 21 while responding to a noise complaint. More than 100 Pasco County deputies were among the nearly 3,000 people who attended the funeral Saturday, the Times reported.
Kondek’s death came just hours after NYPD Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos were fatally shot Dec. 20 in an ambush-style attack as they sat in their patrol car in Brooklyn. The shooter, Ismaaiyl Brinsley, said in a social media post that he wanted revenge for the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner.
“I can tell you the anxiety level is extremely high right now with our families,” Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said at a news conference Sunday, the Times reported. “What we’ve dealt with in the Tampa Bay region the last several days, burying Charlie yesterday, these are the things that are in our heads.”
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Sheriff Nocco mentioned that graffiti was found Friday in Meadow Pointe that said “Shoot MP cop” — MP meaning Meadow Pointe, the Times reported.
“Absolutely disgusting,” the sheriff said of the graffiti.
“The pendulum has swung against law enforcement,” he told the Times. “There’s a lot of violence going on in our community, and there are a lot of people threatening law enforcement for unjust reasons.”
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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