A Hillsborough County, Florida Sheriff's deputy on Tuesday recalled to a jury how she was shot while on a domestic call four years ago.
Deputy Lyonelle De Veaux testified during the attempted murder trial of Matthew Buendia that she found herself starring down the barrel of a gun before dodging bullets and running for her life, according to WTVT.
De Veaux arrived at a Carrollwood apartment complex on Sept. 30, 2011, to a woman waiting for her in the parking lot. After she sat the woman in the backseat of her patrol car, she turned around to find a young man walking toward her.
She said that Buendia told her that he wanted help looking for his dog, but suddenly, he pulled up his shirt and pulled out a gun.
"As soon as he pulled out the weapon and pointed it at me, he began to shoot. And I saw two muzzle flashes, which let me know it was two shots…instinctively I reached for my own weapon to try to return fire," she testified. "I realized I would not have time to get my weapon in time before he continued firing on me.
The female deputy said she turned her body to start running, but not before she felt a burning sensation in her left shoulder and thigh.
"That's when I realized I had been shot," she said.
De Veaux said she ducked by her patrol car and then ran towards the gate of the apartment complex and radioed for help.
Buendia's defense lawyers say that the former Marine suffers from PTSD and was insane when the shooting occurred. If convicted, he is facing life in prison.
