Investigators in Florida released body camera footage of deputies in a shootout with a 12-year old boy and 14-year-old girl.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said the children shot at the deputies for more than half an hour Tuesday night, before the deputies returned fire.
In the disturbing video, Florida Sergeant Donnie Maxwell can be seen taking cover behind a tree, alerting “Shooting out the rear window, my direction, standby.”
Maxwell can be seen taking fire from inside of a house, where the 12-year-old and 14-year old are shooting out of.
Police say the two children had fled from a juvenile home northeast of Orlando and broke into an unattended house, finding several large firearms, CBS News’ Manuel Bojorquez reports.
When police arrived, the children opened fire.
An officer can be heard ordering the children to put the gun down.
“Let’s not shoot these kids, man. Let’s just hold ’em off, take our time,” one of the deputies can be heard saying.
Another replied, “They’re shooting at me.”
At one point in the edited nine-minute video, Maxwell — with his gun drawn — mutters to himself, appearing to pray for a peaceful outcome.
“Don’t make me do this. Don’t do this,” Maxwell says.
More than 30 minutes into the standoff, aerial footage then appeared to capture police opening fire. Flashing dots appearing in the video are bullets coming from offices assembled behind a tree.
Police say they started shooting — striking the girl and wounding her — after she came outside pointing a shotgun at the officers.
The 12-year-old boy, who had been carrying an AK-47, then surrenders. Officers rush to administer first aid to the girl.
“Whoever’s got a medkit, some kind of medkit, I need it up here in the garage,” an officer can be heard calling.
None of the officers were injured despite having multiple rounds fired at them.
The female suspect was transported to a local hospital where she underwent surgery and is in stable condition.
In a statement, the juvenile facility where the children were staying said, “These children are in desperate need of care in the appropriate setting, which is a higher level of care than we provide.”
