Armed man in tactical gear shot by 3 deputies in rush-hour traffic, FL cops say

Morning rush hour turned terrifying at a Florida intersection when drivers watched deputies confront a man in body armor carrying “a large assault rifle,” investigators say.

Three deputies began shooting after the man refused “multiple commands” to put down his gun, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

It happened just after 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 23, at an intersection in Brandon, and the suspect’s intent remains a mystery. Brandon is about a 15-mile drive east from downtown Tampa.

“HCSO’s Communications Center received multiple calls regarding an adult male in the area of Windingwood Avenue and Providence Road carrying a large assault rifle and dressed in military tactical gear,” the sheriff’s office reports.

“When deputies arrived, they located Vincent Tyler Morin, 34, walking north on Providence Road towards the Causeway Boulevard intersection. ... They immediately gave him several commands to put down the weapon, which were ignored.”

Deputies “fired multiple shots” at Morin, who was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital, officials said.

Many of the 911 callers were drivers who saw the man along the road and feared his intentions, officials said.

“This was an extremely dangerous situation,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the release.

“An individual armed with an assault rifle and dressed in tactical gear posed a real and immediate threat. Our deputies acted quickly and decisively to protect lives and prevent further danger.”

In addition to the body armor, Morin was wearing a communications headset, officials said. His assault rifle was fully loaded and two additional magazines of ammunition were stored in his body armor, the sheriff’s office said

None of the three deputies had been involved in a past use of deadly force, officials said.

“All three have been placed on administrative leave with pay pending completion of the investigation,” the sheriff’s office said.

This story was originally published April 24, 2025 at 10:48 AM with the headline "Armed man in tactical gear shot by 3 deputies in rush-hour traffic, FL cops say."