FDLE investigates after Ocoee police fire into wrong home

OCOEE, Fla. — An investigation is underway after Ocoee police fired into the wrong person’s home while responding to a call about domestic disturbance.

Winter Garden police, whose dispatchers handle Ocoee’s 911 calls, said a domestic call came from a house two-tenths of a mile away from the one where police opened fire on Saturday.

Police said the dispatcher sent officers to a home on Belhaven Falls Drive, instead of the nearby house where the call was made.

The homeowner told Channel 9 that when officers banged on the door at 1:30 a.m., he asked who was there four times.

He said police never identified themselves as officers.

When no one answered the door, he got his gun.

The homeowner heard an officer scream “gun” and that’s when officers fired into the home, the homeowner said.

He said about nine shots were fired, with bullets hitting the walls and furniture, narrowly missing him and his family.

No shots were fired by the homeowner.

Three 911 calls were made from inside the home by his wife and 12-year-old son.

Dispatchers called the homeowner to tell him it was cops at his front door.

The homeowner and his family were forced to wait outside their home for hours, and the homeowner was placed in handcuffs.

Ocoee police have not spoken out about the incident.

The mayor released a statement which read, “This is an unfortunate situation. However, due to the FDLE investigation, all parties have been instructed to give no media interviews.”

The dispatcher was new to Winter Garden, but spent years as an Orlando police dispatcher.

She is not under investigation.

Police said in press release that FDLE is working to figure out why the officers were dispatched to the address and what led the officers to fire into the home.

The officers who responded were identified as Stephanie Roberts and Carlos Anglero.

Channel 9 learned the officers were under internal investigations before the shootings for issues involving time sheets and workman’s compensation.

Last week, Channel 9 reported that the two were involved in another questionable case in Ocoee.

They told their bosses that informants said one of their colleagues, Lt. Brad Dreasher was selling drugs and protecting a gang.

Sources told Channel 9’s Shannon Butler that Anglero felt retaliated against after bringing up the concerns.

Their attorney said he has questions about how the officers were sent to the house.

The officers are eight-year veterans with the department and are now on administrative leave pending the conclusion of the investigation.

Cox Media Group