Tragedy struck in Baker County over the weekend when a domestic violence call escalated into a deadly confrontation, resulting in a deputy wounded and two men dead, one of them the assailant. According to First Coast News, deputies encountered gunfire upon arriving at a residence on Harry Rewis Road, where they were responding to a report that 36-year-old Marcus Shane Hodges had shot a family member.
While approaching the home, the Baker County Sheriff's Office stated that Hodges opened fire on the law enforcement officials which led to an officer being shot in the arm and, despite receiving wounds, the deputies managed to return fire critically injuring Hodges, who was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead, while the same have been released from the hospital now they're at home recovering, the events echoed by WCJB. The initial victim of the domestic violence was identified as 60-year-old Marcus Gene Hodges, the father of the shooter, who was found dead at the scene.
The injured deputy, whose name was not disclosed, was treated for non-life-threatening injuries thanks to a bulletproof vest that absorbed two shots; Sheriff Scotty Rhoden expressed his gratitude for the vest's protection and the outpouring of community support in a statement obtained by First Coast News: "He took one in the arm, but he took two to the bulletproof vest, so the vest did its job," Rhoden said. "He's in good spirits. We're very thankful he's alright."
The investigation into the incident is ongoing, with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement spearheading the inquiry into the officer-involved shooting and detectives working to uncover the motive behind the domestic violence and subsequent attack on the deputies. Sheriff Rhoden extended a call for prayers not only for the wounded deputy but also for the bereaved family caught in the middle of this violent episode "Please continue to keep the deputy and his family in your prayers as he recovers. We also ask the community to keep the other family involved in this incident in your thoughts and prayers as well," he told News4Jax.
