Following an extensive review, our office has concluded that a deputy from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office was justified in her use of deadly force against 88-year-old Ronald Edward Ehrich on December 7, 2021. Our review determined that, as the deputy was performing a welfare check inside Ehrich’s home, Ehrich came out of a bedroom holding a handgun. The deputy had announced herself several times, calling out “Sheriff’s Office” repeatedly as she walked through the house and as she stood outside Ehrich’s bedroom. After seeing that Ehrich was armed, the deputy retreated, taking cover in another room. She continued to announce that she was a sheriff’s deputy and that she was only there to check on him, and she commanded him to drop the gun more than a dozen times. Ehrich responded that he was prepared to shoot her and continued to advance down the hallway toward the deputy. With his gun in hand, Ehrich stepped through the doorway into the room where the deputy had taken cover. The deputy fired her service weapon at Ehrich three times, and Ehrich died at the hospital.
In reaching this conclusion, our office conducted an exhaustive review of all available evidence and applicable legal standards. These steps included but were not limited to:
- responding to the scene following the shooting
- reviewing interviews of civilians and the involved law enforcement officers
- examining physical evidence
- reviewing video evidence, including body-worn camera footage
- reviewing photographic evidence
- reviewing 911 calls, radio communications, and relevant audio
- analyzing autopsy results
- applying the applicable laws
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation, and a representative from the State Attorney’s Office responded to the scene. Investigators determined that the uniformed Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputy was responding to a 911 call in Riverview from a concerned neighbor. The neighbor indicated that Ehrich lived alone, was elderly, and both his garage door and the door from the garage into the interior of the house had been open for two days.
The deputy entered the house alone through the open doors, knocking and announcing herself, calling out “Sheriff’s Office” every few seconds. The deputy, not encountering anyone on the first floor, continued up the stairway to the second story of the home, all the while announcing herself as a deputy and calling out for a response from anyone inside the house. Once upstairs, the deputy encountered one locked bedroom door. She checked the rest of the upstairs rooms and did not see or hear anyone.
The deputy then returned to the locked bedroom door, knocked, and announced, “Sheriff’s Office.” Ehrich responded from the other side of the door by asking, “Who’s there?” The deputy answered, “Sheriff’s Office, sir, it’s Deputy [deputy’s last name].” Ehrich replied, “I’ve got a gun; you better get the hell out of here.” Ehrich then exited the locked bedroom, armed with a fully loaded Beretta .32 caliber firearm in his left hand.
When the deputy saw this, she backed up and announced “Sheriff’s Office” additional times, as well as commanding Ehrich to drop the gun more than a dozen times. Ehrich ignored these commands and advanced down the hallway toward the deputy, who was in the doorway of another bedroom taking cover and commanding him to drop the gun. Ehrich responded that he was prepared to shoot her and continued to advance approximately 22 feet down the hallway to the room where the deputy had taken cover.
Ehrich stepped into the room with the deputy, still holding the gun in his hand. The deputy fired her agency-issued GLOCK 45 9mm pistol three times, striking Ehrich. Ehrich received emergency medical treatment at the scene and passed away at the hospital. The deputy’s body-worn camera captured the entire incident.
An autopsy examination was conducted by the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office. The findings of the autopsy that were reported to FDLE are consistent with the body-worn camera video and the deputy’s account, with the examination identifying wounds from three bullets. The cause of death was determined to be gunshot wounds to the head and chest.
The name of the deputy is being withheld due to Marsy’s Law.
After our thorough analysis, we have determined that the facts and evidence of this incident prove that the deputy reasonably believed she was in fear of imminent death or great bodily harm when she used deadly force. She also did not have a duty to retreat. These findings satisfy Florida Statutes 776.012 and 776.05 and, therefore, under Florida law, the use of deadly force is justified. Accordingly, there is no legal basis for criminal charges against the deputy.
To review initial materials related to this case, contact Hillsborough SAO Communications. Documents related to the case, including photos, reports, and interview transcripts, are available to any member of the public subject to Florida’s Public Records Law; find details on making a request on the State Attorney’s Office Public Records page.