Sarasota deputy sliced with machete during officer involved shooting incident

SARASOTA, Fla. — A Sarasota deputy is recovering after being attacked by a 15-inch machete after responding to a home burglary.

According to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, a man wielding both a machete and baseball bat entered an efficiency apartment around 9:30 this morning. When a sleeping man inside woke up and noticed the armed man, he fled and called 911.

Multiple deputies arrived on the scene. During an altercation, the suspect began approaching the deputies and would strike one of them on the hand with the weapon.

Following the attack, two other deputies fired their weapons, killing the suspect. Authorities are still working to identify the attacker.

The injured deputy was rushed to the hospital, where he met with a hand surgeon to prepare for surgery.

According to NBC Affiliate WFLA, the deputy suffered severe injuries to at least two of his fingers, but the injuries are not life threatening.

Trust NBC2 to bring you more information as it becomes available.