Three days after two Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office deputies were slain, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy was shot at early Sunday morning, MCSO said.
Deputy Joseph Spratlin was responding to a call at around 2 a.m. about a crowd of people gathered outside Paradise Bar & Lounge, located at 13007 N. Highway 441, in Citra, said MCSO spokesperson Lauren Lettelier. While Spratlin worked to clear the group, a separate group of people started shooting into the crowd and at the deputy. No one was injured.
Spratlin took cover behind his patrol car, which was hit by a bullet on the driver’s side door handle, according to a press release. He did not return fire because he was trying to get people to safety, according to the release.
Lettelier said Spratlin and the group he was with were shot at multiple times by multiple people, but she did not know how many people there were or if they came on foot or by car.
“We don’t know whether the deputy was the target or the crowd, or both,” Lettelier said.
The shooting was over in minutes, and the crowd dispersed before Spratlin or responding deputies could interview witnesses, Lettelier said.
“This is a fresh and ongoing investigation,” Lettelier said.
Lettelier said the shooting was not related to Thursday’s shooting of the GCSO deputies in Trenton.
Authorities ask anyone with information to call Sgt. Donald Buie at 352-368-3538 or the Marion County Crime Stoppers at 352-368-7867.
Contact Robert Lewis at rlewis@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter at @Lewis__Robert.
