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Armed Spring Hill Man Fatally Shot By Hernando Deputy

Hernando Today photo by DAVE CAS

Authorities investigate the scene of a fatal shooting involving a Hernando County deputy.

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By KYLE MARTIN

Hernando Today

Published: October 21, 2008

Updated: 10/21/2008 05:00 pm

SPRING HILL - A Spring Hill man was fatally shot by a sheriff's deputy early this morning.

Deputy Lance Origon was on his way to investigate a shot fired on Gifford Drive and saw a bicyclist who matched a description of the alleged shooter, authorities said. At 2:39 a.m., the deputy parked his car at a slant on the shoulder of Elgin Boulevard and got out to confront the man, authorities said.

The man wouldn't show his hands or cooperate with the deputy, authorities said, so a second deputy was sent to the Fairhaven Avenue intersection. Both deputies continued to talk with the man, who turned his back on them and walked toward the open backyard of a white two-story home, authorities said.

The man turned, reached for his waistband and was shot by Origon, authorities said. The man died from his injuries on scene at 2:46 a.m., authorities said.

Authorities said a gun was found "in his possession," but will not say whether the deputies actually saw the weapon. Authorities said the deceased man, 36-year-old Luis Guillen, is the same person who fired a shot on Gifford Street.

Guillen is survived by an ex-wife and young child. His ex-wife could not be reached for comment today.

Per sheriff's department policy, Origon, who has been a Hernando deputy since 2002, is on paid administrative leave. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting.

The twin gun reports woke up Teresa Ricci, who lives across the street from where the fatal shooting took place. She expected sirens to come wailing toward her home, but, as she later learned, deputies were already there.

Mike Galdorisi heard the shots too — "pop, pop," he describes them — as he stood on a bullet-chipped driveway a mile away. He was almost expecting it. Minutes earlier, he said, a man he knew as "Louie" had pedaled away from his friend's house on Gifford after a shouting match on the front lawn.

Guillen turned up unannounced at the home on Gifford about 4 p.m. Monday wanting to talk with Joel Dulje, a past acquaintance and co-worker who lived there, Dulje said. Guillen was upset after a confrontation with a roommate, so Dulje said he offered him a bed for the night.

Dulje said they went out that night to unwind with a few beers, but Guillen only seemed to grow more agitated. He never mentioned he had a gun, though, Dulje said.

By the night's end, Guillen was only acting more erratic, Dulje said, so he retracted his invitation to stay over. That set him off, Dulje said.

Guillen grabbed a silver handgun, possibly a 9 mm, from a tote sack on his bicycle and pointed it at Dulje, Galdorisi said. Galdorisi stepped in front of the weapon and "probably saved my life," Dulje said.

Galdorisi said he taunted Guillen, saying he wouldn't dare shoot the gun. Guillen proved him wrong by firing a shot onto the driveway between Galdorisi's legs, then pistol-whipping him across the face, Galdorisi and authorities said.

Guillen left after that, Galdorisi said.

Friends of Guillen described him as generally nice person but someone who frequently internalized his personal problems.

"It was something dark in him," said Steven Bruno, who had known Guillen for more than 10 years. "He thought everyone was out to get him."

Guillen began talking about a gun several months ago and once fired it on the back porch of his Sterling Hill home, neighbor Doug Jorgensen said.

Jorgensen offered Guillen a job with his lawn service, but fired him after learning Guillen was taking the gun to work and driving on a suspended license.

Records show Guillen has a criminal history in Hernando dating to 1993 that included domestic battery charges, criminal mischief and assault. He was serving a two-year probation sentence out of Hillsborough County at the time of his death for a charge of carrying a concealed firearm.

News of his neighbor's death did not surprise Jorgensen.

"I figured it was going to happen sooner or later," he said.

Tribune researcher Melanie Coon contributed to this report. Reporter Kyle Martin can be reached at (352) 544-5271 or kmartin@hernandotoday.com.

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