Florida
Florida deputy accidentally shoots and kills his girlfriend, officials say
A former North Florida deputy has been fired after telling investigators that he accidentally shot and killed his girlfriend while cleaning his gun, authorities said Friday.
Ocala police said officers responded to the home of Marion County Deputy Leslie Boileau late Thursday and found a woman with a fatal gunshot wound to her forehead and a 9mm handgun in her lap. A rifle was also found at the scene.
“The Ocala Police Department is working with the State Attorney’s Office to ensure justice is served,” Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken said in a statement.
Boileau told officers that the shooting occurred while he and his girlfriend were handling and dry-firing the guns. After being taken into custody, Boileau told detectives that he accidentally discharged a loaded round while demonstrating the use of a rifle, killing the woman.
A search warrant executed at Boileau’s home corroborated his account, police said. Officials didn’t immediately release the girlfriend’s name.
Boileau was arrested and charged with manslaughter. It wasn’t immediately known whether he had an attorney. Online jail records didn’t show a record of his booking, and his case wasn’t on the county clerk of courts website Friday.
Boileau was immediately fired from the sheriff’s office, where he had served for eight years. Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said in a statement that the Ocala Police Department has the support of his office.
“Tens of thousands of law enforcement officers do their job commendably every day,” Sheriff Billy Woods said. “But unfortunately, the tragic actions of just one are felt through the entire law enforcement community.”
FORT MYERS, Fla. – An injured manatee and her calf are recovering after authorities on a boat rescued them from the Orange River near Fort Myers on Thursday.
What we know:
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said its Marine Unit, Advanced Technology Support Unit, drone pilots and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission helped in saving the pair after the mother was found hurt in the water and in need of medical attention.
READ: Missing Florida man found stuck in mud without food or water for days: PFD
Video shows authorities pulling the frantic manatees safely onto the boat in netting before taking them to shore.
Courtesy: Lee County Sheriff’s Office
Both animals will be taken to ZooTampa for evaluation and medical care.
What we don’t know:
LCSO did not say the extent of the mother’s injuries.
By the numbers:
As of Feb. 20, there have been 85 manatee deaths across Florida in 2026, according to the FWC. Last year reportedly saw a total of 632 manatee deaths.
Dig deeper:
Earlier this month, the FWC began investigating a spike in manatee deaths, specifically in Lee County, where officials say 25 were found dead within a week.
READ: FWC investigating spike in manatee deaths over the past week
The FWC believes these manatee deaths could be from several factors: cold stress, a lack of seagrass and polluted waterways.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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