A Volusia deputy was shot twice as investigators say gunfire erupted within feet of the front door.
DELTONA, Fla. — A 31-year-old man accused of opening fire on two Volusia County sheriff’s deputies told investigators he would have kept shooting and would have killed them if he had not run out of ammunition, according to an arrest affidavit released this week.
The shooting on March 2 left Deputy Jose Rivera wounded in the leg and shoulder and sparked a fast-moving investigation that officials say began with a disturbance report earlier that day. Authorities say the suspect, Luis Diaz Polanco, now faces two counts of attempted premeditated first-degree murder and is being held without bond as prosecutors prepare additional court filings.
Deputies responded to a home on Candler Drive after a call tied to damage to a woman’s vehicle and concerns about Polanco’s behavior, officials said. Rivera and a deputy trainee, Jacob Gomez Lopez, tried to make contact outside the residence, but investigators say the encounter turned violent within moments. Polanco went inside, returned to the front door armed with a handgun and started firing, according to the sheriff’s office account of the incident.
Rivera was struck in the leg, and another round hit the body-worn camera mounted at the center of his chest and then deflected into his shoulder, Sheriff Mike Chitwood said during a briefing in Deltona. “Thank God for his body camera,” Chitwood said, describing the bullet strike as the difference between severe injuries and what could have been a fatal wound. Rivera was pulled to safety by other deputies and rushed first to a Deltona hospital before being flown to a Halifax Health facility in Daytona Beach, authorities said.
Investigators say Polanco fired a dozen shots during the confrontation. Chitwood said Rivera returned fire while backing away, and detectives later documented a trail of shell casings that officials said showed how the shooting moved down the driveway as Rivera tried to create distance. The sheriff said the exchange happened at close range, about 6 feet, and that the deputies did not anticipate the call would turn into an ambush-style gunfight at the front door.
The case gained wider attention after investigators described statements Polanco allegedly made in an interview after he was taken into custody. In the arrest affidavit and later accounts by officials, Polanco said he stopped shooting because he ran out of ammunition and otherwise would have continued. Investigators also said Polanco told detectives he aimed at the deputies because he assumed their ballistic vests would protect them, then described a more lethal intent, saying he would have been “forced to kill” them if he had more ammunition.
Polanco’s arrest came after deputies found him outside the residence and took him into custody without injuries, officials said. A neighbor, Reece Smith, told reporters he was inside with his children when he heard what sounded like five or six gunshots and stayed sheltered until deputies knocked on his door. Smith later showed damage to vehicles on his property that he said was caused by the gunfire. He described the residents nearby as recent arrivals who largely kept to themselves and said he was relieved no one else on the street was struck.
Authorities say the chain of events began hours earlier on March 2. Chitwood said an argument at the home early that morning involved Polanco’s mother and a woman who had arrived to pick her up for work. The sheriff said an altercation followed and the woman’s car was damaged, which led to deputies later trying to locate Polanco at the residence. The sheriff’s office said deputies were investigating an assault or battery report connected to that earlier disturbance when they went to the home on Candler Drive.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies approached and Polanco appeared at the door holding a box. Officials said Rivera told his trainee to reposition toward the back of the home in case the suspect tried to flee. Moments later, authorities said, Polanco pulled a handgun from the box and fired, striking Rivera. The trainee deputy was not injured and took cover while calling for backup, the sheriff’s office said.
Investigators later recovered shell casings and a handgun described by officials as tan and greenish in color, and they continued to examine how Polanco obtained the weapon. Chitwood said the gun was legally purchased in Sanford, but the sheriff’s office said it is still working to determine the full path of the firearm before it was used in the Deltona shooting. Officials also described a July 4 incident in which Polanco was accused of pointing a gun at someone, saying the description of that weapon matched the one used in this case.
Authorities said Polanco spoke with investigators about his mental health and medication history. The arrest report cited by officials says Polanco told detectives he had stopped taking prescribed schizophrenia medication for about a month after missing an appointment. Chitwood also said Polanco had a history of aggressive or violent disputes with neighbors and family members and had been taken into custody in June 2025 for a mental health evaluation. Officials emphasized that those claims are part of the investigative record and that the case remains subject to further review as more evidence is analyzed.
Investigators also cited digital activity they said raised questions about premeditation. Chitwood said detectives determined Polanco asked an artificial intelligence platform in Spanish on Feb. 14 whether he could kill someone if the person came onto his property. Chitwood said the platform returned information about Florida’s self-defense law, and investigators later treated the query as a relevant detail while reviewing the case timeline and Polanco’s statements.
Polanco appeared in court for a first appearance on March 3, where a judge denied a defense request for bond, according to court coverage from local outlets. A public defender asked the court to consider a $500,000 bond with GPS monitoring, but the judge agreed with prosecutors who argued Polanco posed a danger to the community and should remain held without bond. Prosecutors noted the charges are first-degree felonies that can be punishable by life in prison.
As he was escorted after the hearing, Polanco could be heard telling his attorney he needed to talk to his mother, according to a report from the courthouse. Prosecutors said they planned to file a motion seeking pretrial detention, a step that can keep a defendant jailed while a case proceeds. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said Polanco was booked into the county jail and remains there as the investigation continues.
In addition to the attempted murder allegations, investigators have been building a broader picture of Polanco’s past contacts with law enforcement. Records and reporting cited by officials show Polanco had prior arrests, including an August 2024 arrest in Seminole County tied to allegations involving two people over age 65 while he was working as a ride-share driver. Prosecutors later filed a notice declining to pursue those charges, and officials said Polanco had no prior convictions listed in the account they released this week.
Rivera’s injuries were described by the sheriff’s office as serious but not life-threatening, and officials said he was expected to make a full recovery. In the days after the shooting, the sheriff’s office publicly highlighted the body-worn camera strike, sharing images of the damaged device and describing it as a likely life-saving barrier. The incident also renewed attention on the risks of front-door calls, where deputies respond with limited information and can be confronted at close range.
The investigation is expected to include a detailed review of body-worn camera video, forensic evidence from the scene, ballistics analysis, and interviews with witnesses and people connected to the earlier disturbance report. Authorities have said some early details remain preliminary and could change as the case file is finalized and presented in court. The sheriff’s office has not released a full transcript of Polanco’s interview, but officials have repeatedly pointed to the affidavit’s description of his statements about running out of ammunition.
For residents on Candler Drive, the shooting left a visible aftermath of police vehicles, taped-off yards, and damaged property. Smith said he did not realize until after deputies cleared the area that his truck had bullet holes and that his wife’s vehicle had been grazed. He said the response from deputies was swift and that he was grateful the wounded deputy survived.
The case now moves toward formal filings and additional hearings as prosecutors decide whether to add charges or seek enhanced detention terms. Rivera remains in recovery, and the sheriff’s office has said it will continue to update the public as the criminal case advances through the courts.
Author note: Last updated March 4, 2026.