In a peculiar mishap involving a Seminole County deputy and a public restroom, a gun was stolen and then sold for a mere $40. The deputy, who remained unnamed, stopped at an Oviedo RaceTrac gas station to use the facilities, during which he unwisely left his gun belt—and subsequently his firearm—unattended in the accessible stall while preoccupied with his cell phone. The missing firearm, as identified in the reports, was a Sig Sauer P320, as detailed by WESH.
The events unfolded roughly around 5:30 p.m. last Thursday, and after leaving the bathroom, the deputy later realized the gun was missing when he departed to respond to a call. Surveillance footage revealed two individuals, Damari Dennis and Chance Byron, who investigators say found the gun, which at one point was awkwardly sticking out of the toilet paper roll according to the official documents reported by WFTV.
Both suspects were later apprehended at their homes by deputies, and they allegedly confessed during questioning to having seen and taken the deputy’s gun from the stall. Dennis, who is currently on probation and has a prior conviction, insisted he abstained from touching the firearm, with Byron allegedly conveying that Dennis first pointed out the firearm to him. Despite the deputy's negligent act which precipitated the firearm heist, the deputy's conduct will likely be subject to an internal review by the department’s professional standards division, as mentioned in the WESH report.
Clear video evidence captured Byron walking out from the RaceTrac bathroom, his right arm fixed against his side where a noticeable bulge betrayed the firearm’s presence. Detectives say the duo sold the firearm for a paltry sum of $40 via a CashApp. Both men now face multiple charges, with Byron's charges including grand theft of a firearm and Dennis additionally charged with possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. Fortunately, the stolen gun has been recovered.
