Sheriff: Man who livestreamed shootout with deputies on Instagram shot 1st

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Deputies released body camera footage of a deputy-involved shooting in Orange County.

The video shows the encounter with Laforest Duron Gray Jr., who is seen firing at deputies, officials said.

The video shows an exchange of gunfire and has explicit language.

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WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT

WARNING: This is video of the deputy involved shooting on 2/13. There is explicit language and gunfire. This video, from a deputy's body worn camera, shows that suspect Laforest Gray opened fire on deputies, who then returned fire. No deputies were injured & Gray was arrested. pic.twitter.com/QCz4bF9Kig
— Orange County Sheriff's Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) February 14, 2019

Investigators said a 23-year-old man pulled out a handgun, fired at deputies during a domestic violence incident and captured video of the shootout on his Instagram account.

Deputies were called shortly before 8 p.m. Wednesday to the Citra at Windermere apartments near Silverlake Park Drive and Winter Garden Vineland Road, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said.

An arrest affidavit said neighbors heard and saw Gray fighting with a woman.

At one point, the woman tried to get away by jumping into the back of a man's car who offered to help her. Deputies said Gray opened the door, pulled her out by the hair and punched her.

Mina said when deputies arrived, they discovered Gray, the woman, and three witnesses near an open-car garage. Deputies ordered Gray, who had a revolver, and the woman to come out, but they did not comply at first, Mina said.

Mina originally said he didn't believe Gray shot at deputies, but an arrest affidavit obtained by Channel 9 on Thursday said as soon as deputies pulled the woman out of the garage, Gray "pulled out a handgun and shot at deputies."

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Gray was not shot, but he was bitten by a K-9, Mina said. He was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center.

The woman and the deputies were also uninjured, Mina said.

Channel 9 is not identifying the woman because she is the victim of an alleged domestic violence incident.

She told Channel 9 on Thursday evening that she did not want deputies there and that she wanted them to leave, because she and her husband were fine.

It appears Gray ended his first Instagram Live video and started a second one after the shootout.

She said the video was potentially viewed by thousands of users, because they are both former adult entertainers and she has more than 50,000 followers.

Gray was booked into the Orange County Jail on multiple charges, including four counts of attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer. He is expected to make his first court appearance at 1 p.m. Friday.

Channel 9 spoke with UCF professor Raymond Surette about the power of social media and what draws people in to live streams like the one broadcast by Gray. Surette researched what he calls "performance crime and justice" in the age of social media.

He said people are drawn to the idea that they can get real life, filter-free events at the click of a button instead of relying on traditional media.

"With social media, the audience is a much more participatory actor in the production, distribution, consumption of media," Surette said.

Facebook and Instgram rely heavily on their users to report content that's in violation of their standards.

OCSO @SheriffMina briefs the media on the Deputy Involved Shooting in Windermere tonight. pic.twitter.com/i68YVzp5pw
— Orange County Sheriff's Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) February 14, 2019

JUST IN: I was just briefed by @SheriffMina. He confirms what witnesses told me. Here’s my live report from 10PM: https://t.co/L12vkGG4JH I’ll have another live report at 11PM. @WFTV @MarthaSugalski @GWarmothWFTV pic.twitter.com/gXz76apzfW
— Megan Cruz (@MeganWFTV) February 14, 2019