FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — Eyewitness News is pushing the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office for answers after a criminal investigation was launched into a pair of deputies who fired a department-issued rifle and accidentally grazed an 11-year-old in the neck.
This happened on their private property near Mahogony Boulevard and Hazelnut Street.
WFTV first requested the weapon’s policy after the sheriff’s office said deputies could only fire department-issued rifles during authorized training. When we didn’t get a response for two days, we went to get the policy in person.
It says, “The issued and approved rifle will be securely stored in a locked FCSO installed weapon lock or other FCSO locking mechanism, during off-duty hours, and when the vehicle is unattended for an extended period of time.”
During a media briefing Tuesday, Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Chief of Staff Mark Strobridge said training is typically only permitted at the Flagler Gun and Archery Club, but that other types of training could sometimes be approved by supervisors.
The sheriff’s office has confirmed the deputies were off duty at the time but hasn’t said if the target practice on their property was an approved training.
“There has to be an authorized training and it has to be approved by a supervisor. Again, all of that will become part of the investigation and whether our policies were followed,” said Strobridge.
Both deputies are still on active duty while the investigation plays out.
The sheriff’s office said once the criminal investigation is complete, an internal investigation will follow to determine if proper procedures were followed.
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