Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey: Wounded BCSO Deputy Paul Phillips ‘An Amazing Hero’
By Chris Bonanno, Senior Editor & Reporter // June 6, 2019
Sheriff Ivey: 'the doctors are very confident that he will fully recover'
SPACE COAST DAILY TV: Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey identified 35-year-old Paul Phillips as the Deputy that was shot during an incident Tuesday night in unincorporated Indialantic. “Deputy Phillips is, in my opinion, an amazing hero,” said Sheriff Ivey.
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – The victim and suspect in Tuesday evening’s shooting that left a Brevard County Sheriff’s Office deputy wounded have both been identified.
The deputy has been identified as 35-year-old Paul Phillips. Phillips previously served for 16 years in the U.S. Army prior to joining BCSO in November 2018, the agency says.
“Deputy Phillips is, in my opinion, an amazing hero,” said Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey.
The suspect in the shooting is 45-year-old Erik Gebauer of Merritt Island.
Ivey says the deputy was shot three times based on what doctors have told him.
“One of them did extensive damage to his left leg, breaking bones in his left leg, as well as a second round breaking bones in his right leg, his femur,” Ivey said. ”
(Phillips) Also sustained a shot that went into his right shoulder.”
Ivey added that “the doctors are very confident that he will fully recover.”
The Sheriff’s Office says it responded to a call at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening in reference to a complaint off Avenida De La Vista made by a neighbor regarding community cats in the area. That person who made the call was later identified as the shooting suspect.
After a deputy spoke to the complainant, Phillips began to interact with the suspect, who BCSO says was “being uncooperative and acting in an agitated manner.”
After calling for backup, the deputy, per BCSO, heard a gun being loaded.
Soon after, despite taking what they term a “tactical retreat,” Phillips was wounded. Phillips responded thereafter, fatally shooting the suspect.
BCSO says that its animal services division received two calls last May in reference to cats in the area. They add that an officer worked with a local rescue that helped in having 20 feral cats trapped and neutered.
Philips works as a patrol deputy with BCSO’s South Precinct.
“He not only dealt with the suspect, a very violent individual who shot at him multiple times but also his actions not only saved his own life but I believe saved the lives of others that would be responding to that scene and potentially neighbors because this individual (the suspect) had evil in his heart to harm somebody,” Ivey added.
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Related Story:BREAKING REPORT: Brevard County Deputy Shot in Unincorporated Indialantic Tuesday Evening
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