Florida sheriff deputy arrested, fired after apparent accidental shooting of girlfriend
A Florida sheriff deputy was arrested Friday after he told investigators that he accidentally shot his girlfriend.
Ocala Police said in a press release posted on Facebook that they responded to the home of 32-year-old Leslie Boileau, a Marion County Sheriff's deputy late Thursday, where they found Boileau's girlfriend with a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
Boileau told officers that he had accidentally fired a loaded round from a rifle while he and his girlfriend were cleaning and dry firing their guns. The girlfriend was not named in the press release, but was identified as Polina Wright, 25, in an arrest report obtained by the Ocala Star-Banner − a part of the USA TODAY Network.
Boileau was fired from the department after the arrest, according to the Banner.
"The Ocala Police Department is working with the State Attorney's Office to ensure justice is served," Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken said in the release.
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Former deputy accidentally shoots girlfriend during "sloppy" training
Boileau told investigators that he and Wright had eaten dinner and drank margaritas Thursday night at a local restaurant and found that firearm cleaning supplies had been delivered when they returned.
The couple went inside, where Boileau provided Wright some training that included pointing guns at each other. Boileau told the detective he knew what he was doing was wrong, according to the report.
Boileau said he and Wright have "done similar types of training in the past but described his behaviors as 'sloppy,'" the report said.
During one scenario, Boileau said he pointed the rifle at Wright and when he pulled the trigger, a round came out and hit the woman in the head. Boileau said he had forgotten that the rifle was loaded and had dry fired it once, according to the Banner.
"I know this looks really bad," Boileau told officers, according to the report. "I told her I did not want this to happen, I did not want to train her in the f****** house like this."
Former deputy fired after manslaughter arrest
Boileau was arrested on a manslaughter charge, according to the press release. Marion County Jail records did not reflect the booking as of Sunday morning.
In a statement to the Banner, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said that his department supports the investigation.
"Tens of thousands of law enforcement officers do their job commendably every day," Woods said. "But unfortunately, the tragic actions of just one are felt through the entire law enforcement community.”
The Marion County Sheriff's Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment from USA TODAY Sunday.
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