ASO releases additional information on deputy-involving shooting

Press release from Alachua County Sheriff’s Office

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – On Tuesday, July 29th, at approximately 7:49 a.m., Investigators with the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Warrants Unit arrived at 102 NW 9th Terrace in Gainesville to serve a felony arrest warrant on 44-year-old Samuel Edgardo Rivera for possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. Investigators had received information that Rivera was staying at the residence with his girlfriend.

Upon arrival, investigators contacted a resident who confirmed that Rivera and his girlfriend were inside the apartment. Deputies announced who they were and that they had an arrest warrant, issuing commands for Rivera to exit the apartment, but received no response. Deputies then entered the residence to locate and arrest Rivera.

When deputies reached a back bedroom, they again gave multiple commands for Rivera to come out. After several minutes, Rivera’s girlfriend exited the bedroom, but the door immediately closed behind her. Deputies reasonably believed Rivera remained inside. As they approached the closed door, a single gunshot was fired from inside the room in the direction of the deputies. At 8:17 a.m., a warrants supervisor notified ASO dispatch that shots had been fired.

Deputies withdrew from the apartment, established a secure perimeter, and requested additional law enforcement resources. Officers from the Gainesville Police Department, University of Florida Police Department, and multiple specialized units from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office—including SWAT, the Hostage Negotiations Team, and the Bomb Squad—responded to the scene.

Due to the shots being fired at Law Enforcement and the substantial risk to the public, multiple residents within the apartment building and adjacent commercial/residential structures were evacuated. Based upon the direct line of sight from the suspect’s location to University Avenue, the roadway was closed down as a protective precaution for passing motorists from the 800 block to the 1100 block.

Law Enforcement personnel, to include a hostage negotiator from the Gainesville Police Department spent hours attempting to persuade Rivera to surrender peacefully. At the same time, members of the ACSO SWAT Team issued repeated commands via a public address system, informing Rivera that he was under arrest and instructing him to exit with his hands up. Despite these efforts, Rivera did not comply.

At 11:02 a.m., SWAT deployed a non-lethal chemical agent irritant into the apartment, which is designed to compel a barricaded suspect to surrender. Rivera responded by firing multiple gunshots through a side window toward deputies. Deputies again notified dispatch that shots were being fired by the suspect.

As additional canisters of chemical agent were deployed, a deputy reported that Rivera briefly exited the bedroom door into the living room while armed with a handgun before retreating back into the bedroom. Deputies continued to issue loud commands for him to drop the weapon. An additional Deputy radioed that Rivera appeared at a front window, pointing a handgun at deputies on scene. A member of the ACSO SWAT Team fired a single round, striking Rivera. Due to his injuries, Rivera died on scene.

As standard procedure following any deputy-involved shooting, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has been called in to conduct an independent investigation.

The deputy who discharged his service weapon has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the review.

The information provided in this release reflects our current understanding of the incident at this time and may be updated as the investigation progresses.

[Editor’s note: We tried to find the sworn complaint that led to the warrant, but it is not posted on the Alachua County Court website. ASO’s Public Information Officer told us to make a public records request, so we have done that, and we will report more details when we receive the sworn complaint.]