Officials say a bullet struck the deputy’s body-worn camera and deflected, helping him survive.
DELTONA, Fla. — A Volusia County sheriff’s deputy who was shot twice during a front-door confrontation in Deltona was released from the hospital Wednesday as the man accused of firing a dozen shots at two deputies remained jailed without bond on attempted murder charges.
The deputy, Jose Rivera, was wounded March 2 while responding to a call at a home on Candler Drive, where officials say a suspect, Luis Diaz Polanco, stepped out armed and opened fire at close range. The case has drawn attention because investigators say Rivera’s body-worn camera took a direct hit to the chest area and helped prevent what the sheriff described as a potentially fatal wound, and because prosecutors say Polanco admitted he only stopped shooting after running out of ammunition.
Rivera’s release came two days after the shooting, a timeline sheriff’s officials described as a relief given how quickly the incident escalated. On Wednesday morning, Rivera left the hospital to a gathering of fellow officers and supporters, then traveled to a local park where more people waited to welcome him home, according to accounts shared by officials. Law enforcement vehicles and uniformed personnel lined parts of the route, and Rivera’s return was framed by the sheriff’s office as both a celebration and a reminder of the dangers deputies face during routine calls.
“I’m very thankful that this is a welcoming home versus a funeral procession,” Lt. John Cort said, describing how quickly deputies moved from uncertainty to response after the shooting was reported. Cort said the agency initially did not know whether Rivera would survive, then learned his injuries were serious but not life-threatening. He said the next phase became securing the neighborhood and taking the suspect into custody.
Authorities say the shooting unfolded outside 2684 Candler Drive. Rivera and a deputy trainee, Jacob Gomez Lopez, were investigating a disturbance tied to earlier reports of an altercation and damage to a vehicle, the sheriff’s office said. When the deputies attempted to speak with Polanco, officials said, he went back inside the house and then came back out the front door holding a handgun and began firing.
Rivera was struck in the leg, and another round hit the chest-mounted body-worn camera before deflecting into his shoulder, the sheriff and other officials said. Sheriff Mike Chitwood has described that moment as “dead center” on the body camera, saying it likely prevented the bullet from piercing Rivera’s chest. Rivera was pulled to safety by fellow deputies and taken to a Deltona medical center, where he was stabilized and then flown to a Halifax Health hospital in Daytona Beach, the sheriff’s office said.
Chitwood later showed body camera video and described the exchange of gunfire as a close-quarters confrontation that happened within a few feet. He said Rivera fired back while retreating and that investigators documented shell casings leading away from the front door and down the driveway. Officials said Polanco fired 12 shots, while Rivera fired several rounds while backing away, and investigators recovered casings and a handgun from the home as they processed the scene.
Two other people on the property were detained during the initial response but were not found to be involved, according to the sheriff’s office. Officials also said Polanco was taken into custody outside the home and was not injured. In the hours after the shooting, investigators said Polanco briefly got into a white Kia in the driveway and deputies blocked the vehicle with a patrol car as it appeared he might try to leave the area, according to details later included in an arrest report.
As the community learned more about Rivera’s injuries and the body camera strike, officials released images of the damaged device and emphasized the role of protective gear and equipment in the deputy’s survival. Rivera, who the sheriff’s office said joined the agency in 2023, is a U.S. Army veteran and the father of three. Chitwood said Rivera was already talking about returning to duty, a remark that drew applause at one update while also underscoring the long recovery that often follows gunshot wounds.
The criminal case advanced quickly in court. Polanco, 31, appeared for a first appearance March 3, where a judge denied bond and kept him jailed, according to local court reporting. A public defender asked for a $500,000 bond with GPS monitoring, but prosecutors argued the charges were severe and that Polanco posed a risk to public safety. Prosecutors noted the offenses are first-degree felonies that can be punishable by life in prison.
Investigators say Polanco’s own statements became a central part of the early case narrative. The sheriff has said Polanco told detectives he intentionally fired at the deputies, first claiming he assumed their ballistic vests would protect them. Investigators said Polanco then described a more lethal intent, stating he would have continued shooting and would have killed the deputies if he had not run out of ammunition. Those claims, officials said, were captured in an arrest affidavit as detectives assembled the probable cause record.
Authorities have also pointed to information about Polanco’s mental health and prior law enforcement contacts. The sheriff has said Polanco told investigators he had stopped taking prescribed schizophrenia medication for about a month after missing an appointment. Officials also said he had been taken into custody in June 2025 for a mental health evaluation. The sheriff has described a history of volatile conflicts involving family members and neighbors, though investigators have said they are still assembling records and interviews tied to those incidents.
Chitwood also described a digital detail investigators said raised concerns about planning. He said detectives determined Polanco asked an artificial intelligence platform in Spanish on Feb. 14 whether he could kill someone who visited his property. The sheriff said the platform returned information about Florida self-defense law, and investigators treated that query as part of the timeline they were evaluating as they prepared the case for prosecutors.
Officials said they are also investigating how Polanco obtained the handgun used in the shooting. Chitwood has said the firearm was legally purchased in Sanford, and the sheriff’s office has said it is working to determine how the gun came into Polanco’s possession before the March 2 confrontation. Investigators also referenced a July 4 incident in which Polanco was accused of pointing a gun at someone, with officials saying the description of that weapon matched the gun recovered in the Deltona case.
For neighbors on Candler Drive, the gunfire brought a sudden and frightening disruption. One resident, Reece Smith, told reporters he heard what sounded like five or six shots while inside with his children and stayed sheltered until deputies contacted him. He later discovered bullet holes and damage to vehicles on his property that he said came from the exchange of gunfire. He said he had little interaction with the residents at the home and was grateful no one else on the street was hit.
Chitwood has described the call as the kind of front-door contact deputies make every day, one that began as a report connected to a damaged vehicle and a disturbance earlier in the day. He said the shooting highlighted how quickly a routine response can become dangerous, particularly when deputies are close to a doorway with limited cover. Officials said the body camera strike and Rivera’s survival became a focal point for the agency as it reviewed tactics and prepared for the next court steps.
In the coming days, prosecutors are expected to file additional motions related to detention and the handling of the case as it moves toward future hearings. Investigators are continuing to review body-worn camera video, ballistic evidence and witness statements, and officials have said early details remain subject to revision as the investigation is completed and evidence is presented in court.
Rivera’s release from the hospital marked a milestone for the sheriff’s office and supporters who had gathered in the days after the shooting. The deputy’s recovery will continue outside the hospital, while Polanco remains in custody and faces the next round of court proceedings tied to the March 2 confrontation on Candler Drive.
Author note: Last updated March 4, 2026.