Sheriff: Army veteran killed by Orange deputies
A 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran was shot and killed by two Orange County deputies Tuesday after Orange County Sheriff John Mina said she confronted them with a gun.
The deputies responded to a battery call about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at a home near Avalon Park, where Tracy Drowne came outside and pointed a handgun at the deputies, who then shot her, Mina said.
Drowne hospital.
A man had called the Sheriff’s Office to report that Drowne hit him following an argument involving his 16-year-old daughter, Mina said in a recorded statement Tuesday evening.
The man and his daughter have not been identified, and the Sheriff’s Office so far has not released the initial incident report or 911 call, which
later
died
at
athe Sentinel Wednesday.
When deputies arrived at the house in the 1100 block of Fountain Coin Loop in east Orange County, Drowne came outside holding a gun and then raised to toward the deputies, Mina said.
The two deputies, Nathan Henley and Joseph O’Neil, shot at Drowne, then tried to render aid until paramedics arrived,
requested Mina said.
Both deputies have been relieved of duty pending an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and a subsequent internal OCSO investigation, Mina said. Henley has worked with OCSO for six years, and O’Neil for two.
Drowne’s ex-husband, Salvador Perez, said Wednesday that he didn’t know much about the incident, but Drowne had been struggling recently.
“There were issues that she was dealing with,”
Perez said. “She thought everyone was out to get her and she didn’t trust anybody.”
He said their two daughters, as well as Drowne’s family, had tried to get her help, but she repeatedly refused. He had not personally spoken with her in years, he said, but their daughters stayed in touch, though not recently because of an argument.
Perez lives in California, as do their 17- and 21-year-old daughters.
Drowne served for years in the U.S. Army and was deployed at least twice, Perez said, though he did not think she ever was involved in combat. He said she worked in finance and on contracts for the military, but had since retired.
In 2013, Drowne was honored with a U.S. Army Acquisition Award for contracting excellence, when she was listed as a sergeant first class.