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2 Florida deputies airlifted after shooting, suspect dead

A helicopter airlifts two deputies to the hospital after they were shot on July 16, 2026 in Ruskin, Fla. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)

(RUSKIN, Fla.) — Two deputies were airlifted to a Florida hospital Thursday after they were shot while approaching a suspect who was accused of holding a woman hostage overnight, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

The suspect, identified as 34-year-old Chris Dmuchowski, was shot by a third responding deputy and died after being transported to the hospital, the sheriff’s office said.

Both deputies are receiving care and are expected to make a full recovery, according to an update from the sheriff on Friday.

Deputies arrived on the scene on West Shell Point Road in Ruskin, Florida, after a report that the suspect had taken his ex-girlfriend hostage overnight, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a press briefing Thursday.

The suspect allegedly restrained his ex-girlfriend at her residence and threatened to kill her, and then released her after she regained consciousness in the morning, Chronister said.

That morning, she went to a sheriff’s office building to request an order of protection, after which authorities sent a drone to the scene upon identifying the suspect and learning of his criminal record, according to the sheriff.

An exchange of gunfire ensued in the parking lot outside of the residence after the suspect exited the building, the sheriff said.

“Our suspect ambushed our deputies from the moment they arrived on scene,” Chronister said. “He was intent on taking the life of a deputy sheriff.”

The suspect opened fire at two deputies, striking one in the face and another in the neck area, after which a third deputy approached and shot the suspect multiple times, Chronister said.

Chronister said on Friday that one of the deputies was preparing to go into surgery. He had multiple fractures on his hand and wrist and had gotten stitches on his face where the bullet struck, according to the sheriff.

The other deputy who was shot in the neck experienced no damage to vital arteries and hopes to be released Friday, Chronister said.

Dmuchowski was a one-time convicted felon on charges of tampering with physical evidence.

The sheriff’s office said there is no threat to public safety at this time.

“Thank you to every single deputy who was on scene and responded to this scene today,” Chronister said.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Abbott Appoints Former Democratic State Rep. Shawn Thierry as Harris County Judge

By CNN
Click here for updates on this story    August 25, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) -- HOUSTON — In Texas politics, sometimes the road from the blue side of the aisle to the red side leads straight to the judicial bench.Gov. Greg Abbott announced August 25, 2026, that former Democratic state Rep. Shawn Nicole Thierry, who switched to the Republican Party in 2024, will become judge of Harris County’s newly created 515th Judicial District Court. Her appointment becomes effective September 1 and runs through December 31, 2028, or until a successor is elected and qualified.For Thierry, it represents another remarkable turn in a Houston political career that has moved from Democratic legislative politics to Republican alignment — and now into Texas’ judiciary.The 515th Judicial District is composed of Harris County and, under state law, will give preference to civil cases. The court was created by the Texas Legislature as part of an expansion of Harris County’s judicial capacity and takes effect September 1, 2026.Abbott pointed to Thierry’s nearly three decades of legal experience in announcing the appointment. She currently serves as executive director of Policy in the Office of General Counsel at Texas Southern University, bringing her political journey home to an institution with deep roots in Houston’s Black legal and civic history.Thierry earned her bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Management from Howard University and her Juris Doctor from Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law. Her résumé also includes membership in the State Bar of Texas and Houston Bar Association, along with civic involvement ranging from literacy organizations to community service. Abbott previously appointed her to the Texas Juvenile Justice Board in 2025.But it is impossible to tell the Shawn Thierry story without discussing politics.First elected in 2016, Thierry represented heavily Democratic Texas House District 146 for four terms. Her relationship with Democratic activists deteriorated significantly during the 2023 legislative session after she joined Republicans and several fellow Democrats in supporting Senate Bill 14, which prohibited certain gender-transition-related medical treatments for minors. The measure was signed into law by Abbott in June 2023.photo Thierry argued that children should wait until adulthood before making certain potentially irreversible medical decisions. Critics within her party argued that the legislation interfered with decisions they believed should remain between families and medical professionals.That debate followed her home.In the 2024 Democratic primary runoff, union organizer Lauren Ashley Simmons defeated Thierry, ending Thierry’s bid for a fifth House term. The race became a referendum not simply on one legislative vote, but on representation itself: How far may an elected official depart from the prevailing views of the voters and party that elected them before those voters decide to make a change?That question is democracy doing exactly what democracy does — sometimes loudly, sometimes painfully and almost never neatly.Three months after losing the primary, Thierry announced she was leaving the Democratic Party and joining the Republicans, saying her positions on children, family, faith and women’s sports were increasingly incompatible with Democratic Party policies. Abbott publicly welcomed her into the GOP.Now comes a different assignment.Campaign applause, party labels and legislative floor fights should matter considerably less when a judge puts on the robe. Litigants appearing before the 515th District Court will not be asking whether Thierry once carried a Democratic primary ballot or later joined the Republican Party. They will expect something far more fundamental: equal justice, impartiality, competence and fidelity to the law.That is where democracy’s next test begins.Thierry said following the appointment that she intends to serve with “integrity, fairness, and respect for the rule of law.”Those words establish a worthy standard.Because political parties may open doors, close doors — or lead someone to an entirely different hallway. But inside a courtroom, justice must belong to everybody.And in Harris County, everybody will be watching. Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.Kierra LeeKIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM3465287733
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