Bodycam: Suspect Shoots 2 Fla. Deputies Serving Search Warrant

A bullet struck a Hernando County Sheriff's Office sergeant's body armor and body camera while another deputy suffered a forearm wound during a SWAT raid to execute a narcotics-related search warrant.

Joe Vince

Sept. 12, 2026

2 min read

Add Us On Google

What to Know

Two Hernando County sheriff's deputies were shot while serving a narcotics-related search warrant at a suspect's home Thursday after a suspect opened fire as a SWAT unit attempted to breach the door.
K-9 Deputy Jonathan Alion suffered a forearm wound, while Sgt. Scott Lewis was struck in the chest and leg, with Lewis' body armor and body camera helping to prevent the round from penetrating his chest.
Deputies did not return fire because they could not see the suspect, who was later taken into custody and faces multiple charges, including attempted murder of a law enforcement officer.

Two Florida deputies were shot early Thursday while executing a search warrant connected to a narcotics suspect.

The shooting happened at around 5 a.m. when Hernando County sheriff's deputies and a SWAT unit were serving a search warrant stemming from the sale of narcotics, the sheriff's office stated in a news release. Deputies were trying to breach the home's door when the suspect, identified as Anthony Cusati, opened fire.

Two deputies were struck by the gunfire. Footage from the body camera of one of the wounded deputies—K-9 Deputy Jonathan Alion—captured what happened when shots erupted.

Alion, who has served six years with the sheriff's office, was wounded in the forearm. During a news conference, Sheriff A Nienhuis said the injury was not life-threatening, and Alion might require stitches.

Sgt. Scott Lewis, who has been with the sheriff's office for 11 year, was shot in the chest and the upper left leg. The shot to the chest struck Lewis' body armor and body camera.

Nienhuis said Lewis was in "a tremendous amount of pain," but doctors were able to stop the bleeding from his leg wound. He is expected to recover.

"Fortunately, he was wearing fairly heavy body armor at the time, so he did not penetrate the skin," said Nienhuis. "By the grace of God, it did not hit any major arteries."

Following the shooting, deputies did not return fire because they could not see Cusati, Nienhuis said. Cusati evenutally was taken into custody.

The suspect faces the following charges:

Attempted murder of a law enforcement officer
Aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon
Shooting into an occupied vehicle
Resisting arrest with violence

Cusati is also expected to face additional narcotics charges, the sheriff's office stated.

"If you’re selling drugs in Hernando County, you’re probably going to get an early morning wake up call from my SWAT team," said Nienhuis.

"If you shoot at deputies and they have a target, they’re going to shoot back, and you’re probably not going to survive that, particularly the SWAT team. So this particular individual is very, very lucky," he added

The incident is under investigation.

About the Author

Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.