TAMPA (WFLA) – The State Attorney’s office is not filing criminal charges against Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Daniel Esanislau saying he acted in self-defense when he shot a 17-year-old.
Back in March, Estanislau responded to a domestic incident between the 17-year-old and his mother.
The deputy thought the teen had a weapon and fired two shots it turns out, he only had a black smartphone.
In a statement the family of the victim stated:
The State Attorney memorandum does not absolve the Deputy of wrongdoing. It only concludes that the State could not prove a crime beyond a reasonable doubt. We are confident that a competent and fair investigation by the Sheriff’s Office will conclude that the shooting was unjustified. As the State Attorney memo concludes, the Deputy shot at a teen who had complied with the Deputy’s command to show his hands. When the teen raised his hands to his chest and showed his hands, the only thing in his hand was a cell phone. Yet, the Deputy responded to the teen’s obedience by shooting at him, striking him in the back, and paralyzing him from the chest down. His entire life will never be the same because of the unjustified use of deadly force
The sheriff’s office will now begin the process of conducting an internal administrative investigation.