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New video captured the horrifying moment a Florida police officer’s body camera stopped a bullet from piercing his chest while conducting a routine investigation last month.
The incident unfolded when Deputy Jose Rivera and his deputy trainee responded to a call regarding an assault and battery investigation at a home in Volusia County on Sunday, March 1, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
Upon arriving at the home, the deputies encountered the suspect, identified as Luis Diaz Polanco, police said.
Body camera video shows Luis Diaz Polanco allegedly exiting his home and allegedly firing on officers, striking Deputy Jose Rivera in Volusia County, Fla., on Sunday, March 1, 2026. (Volusia County Sheriff’s Office)
While trying to speak with Polanco, he allegedly went back into the house and returned with a handgun before he allegedly started firing at the officers, according to authorities.
Rivera was subsequently struck in the leg and shoulder “after a round ricocheted off of his chest-mounted body-worn camera,” the department said.
Video shows the shootout and the aftermath, including fellow deputies pulling a bloodied Rivera to safety and applying tourniquets.
Police place a tourniquet on Deputy Jose Rivera after he was shot several times in Volusia County, Fla., on Sunday, March 1, 2026. (Volusia County Sheriff’s Office)
Rivera, a father of three, is then placed into the back of a police car and transported to a hospital, where he is expected to make a full recovery.
Additional video shows Polanco on the ground with his hands behind his back as police take him into custody.
He was later charged with attempted murder, according to police.
Deputy Jose Rivera’s body camera shielded him from being shot in the chest while responding to a call regarding an assault in Volusia County, Fla., on March 1, 2026. (Volusia County Sheriff’s Office)
While in custody, Polanco allegedly told police he had a “horrible day” before the shooting and was previously involved in a confrontation with an unidentified woman, Sheriff Mike Chitwood said in a news conference.
“When the deputies came up to the house, [Polanco] had every intention to shoot them,” Chitwood said, adding a direct quote from the suspect, “‘If I didn’t run out of ammunition, I would have killed them all.’”
Polanco allegedly told officers he was experiencing a mental health crisis at the time of the alleged incident.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office shared a photo on social media showing the damaged body camera that stopped the bullet from hitting Rivera in the chest, with the caption, “Deputy Rivera’s body cam took a bullet headed for his chest. His fellow deputies pulled him to safety. Thank God for that.”
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“There’s a lot of scumbags out there that have a lot of things to say,” Chitwood said. “What they did, what those deputies did, was absolutely outstanding. It was bravery, there was restraint involved. They did everything you could ever ask a law enforcement professional to do.”
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
