The Orange County Sheriff's Office disclosed on Monday the identity of the man fatally shot by deputies last Friday following a nearly six-hour-long standoff. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the suspect was 31-year-old Deshaun Albert Dunmyer, who had reportedly taken his baby hostage and inflicted gunshot and stab wounds on the child's mother.
The standoff rapidly became increasingly perilous after deputies arrived on the scene at 6809 Colony Oaks Lane, where they found the injured mother before Dunmyer barricaded himself in the house. Negotiation efforts with the suspect stretched over several hours but ultimately failed to secure a peaceful surrender, as reported by WFTV.
In the tense hours that ensued, the Sheriff’s Office described an escalating concern for the child’s welfare. Sheriff John Mina mentioned that Dunmyer had begun speaking in the past tense and praying—a worrying sign to law enforcement. This prompted the SWAT intervention where officers, upon seeing the suspect with the gun and the baby, “breached the front door of the house and shot him,” fearing for the child's safety, as reported by Orlando Sentinel.
The young child, referred to only as "the baby" by officials, was unharmed during the incident. The mother is still under medical care, recovering from her injuries. The Sheriff's Deputy involved in the shooting has been placed on temporary paid administrative leave. It is customary for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to thoroughly investigate such circumstances, and their findings will be reviewed by the state attorney's office, followed by an internal review from the Sheriff’s Office. The Orlando Sentinel states that body-camera footage from the incident is expected to be released within 30 days.
