End of Watch: Master Corporal Brian LaVigne of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
On the evening of January 11, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO,) headquartered in Tampa, Florida, shared the tragic news that they are investigating a fatal accident that claimed the life of one of their own – Master Corporal Brian LaVigne – who had been with the Sheriff’s Office for more than 30 years.
At approximately 3:42 p.m. on January 11, HCSO received a 911 call from management at Paddock Club Apartments, located at 921 Paddock Club Drive in Brandon. The caller reported that a male resident had been throwing property out of his apartment window and front door. The caller also stated that this individual has threatened to harm staff in the past. Deputies spoke to the man through the door, but there was no cause for arrest at the time.
Later, at approximately 5:03 p.m., another disturbance is called into HCSO’s Communications Bureau. This time, a neighbor called to report that a man was nude and acting erratically. Again, management from the Paddock Club Apartments called to report the same complaint.
When deputies arrived at the scene the second time, they attempted to establish a dialogue with Travis Zachary Gabriel Garrett, 28, but were unsuccessful.
Garrett then became combative and struck one of the responding deputies, Michael Durig, Jr. multiple times. It was then that the second responding deputy, Adam Pautz, deployed his taser once without success, forcing Deputy Durig to deploy his taser two times, also without success.
Garrett fled in his car, while Deputy Durig and Deputy Pautz gave chase. Deputy Pautz tried to block Garrett, however, Garrett was able to get past him and crashed through one of the apartment complex’s gated entrances. Garrett continued to flee onto Brandon Parkway, and then westbound onto Lumsden Road, where, according to several witnesses, he intentionally rammed into Master Corporal Brian LaVigne at a high rate of speed. Master Corporal LaVigne was operating his marked HCSO vehicle at the time.
The Sheriff’s Office reported that Master Corporal LaVigne’s fellow deputies worked heroically to try and tend to his injuries, while Hillsborough County Fire Rescue attempted to extricate Master Corporal LaVigne for several minutes. Despite their courageous efforts and those on frontlines at Tampa General Hospital, Master Corporal LaVigne passed away while in the line of duty.
“𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗩𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗳’𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟬, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁,” 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿. “𝗪𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗮𝗩𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝘂𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱.”
Sheriff Chronister went on to say at last night’s press conference that the Master Corporal only had one shift left before his retirement.
Master Corporal LaVigne was scheduled to retire this week. He was 54 years old. He is survived by his wife, and two adult children, one of whom is also a deputy with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
HCSO is investigating the fatal incident and charges against Garrett are forthcoming. He does not have any arrest history in Hillsborough County, but he was previously Baker Acted in Pasco County.
The Baker Act is a Florida law that enables families and loved ones to provide emergency mental health services and temporary detention for people who are impaired because of their mental illness, and who are unable to determine their needs for treatment. ~ UF Health
WTSP shared several heartbreaking notes of condolences from the surrounding area law enforcement agencies.
Ace News Today would also like to share our condolences with all of Master Corporal LaVigne’s family, friends and co-workers!
For more on the story, see Sheriff Chronister’s press conference from last night.
(Source: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
~ Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter
