TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Hillsborough County Deputy Manuel Santos is still on the road to recovery after he was seriously injured in an ambush attack in Brandon last month.
On Nov. 9, Santos, 31, and Cpl. Carlos Brito, 39, were responding to a mental health crisis call when the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said 28-year-old Ralph Bouzy “intentionally” rammed his car into the deputies, sending them both to the hospital.
Santos and Brito suffered critical injuries, with doctors fearing that Brito’s injuries might’ve been so severe that his leg might have to be amputated. He underwent multiple surgeries for his leg injury.
After getting treated at Tampa General Hospital, Santos was released, but now he’s headed to surgery, the sheriff’s office shared in a social media post on Sunday afternoon.
Santos, who previously stated that he’s thankful to be alive after one of the “scariest moments of his life,” said in a video that the continuous outpour of support from the community has meant the world to him.
“I’ve never been more proud in my life to be a deputy sheriff than I am now. The amount of people that have reached out, the amount of letters that we’ve gotten – it’s insane,” Deputy Santos said. “I’m so happy about it, obviously. I tell my wife all the time, ‘I’m proud to be where I am right now in this day.”
Deputy Santos has been with the sheriff’s office since 2019. Brito joined in 2013.
A fundraiser through the Lynn Sowers Memorial Foundation has been set up for the deputies and their health expenses. To learn more, click here.
On Nov. 20, an attorney for Bouzy entered a plea of not guilty to three counts of attempted murder on a law enforcement officer. A judge ordered the 28-year-old to be evaluated by a psychiatrist, and a new hearing date was set for December.
