Gunfight with Volusia deputies ends in house fire, former DeLand city worker’s arrest

A Deltona man stole cigarettes at a convenience store early Wednesday and shot at deputies, injuring one, after they followed him to his home that he set on fire during a 5-hour standoff, officials said.

The deputy, 25-year-old Ethan Thomas, was grazed by a bullet in the face during a gun battle and was later discharged from the hospital after his injury was treated, said Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood.

The suspect was a 30-year employee of the city of DeLand, Chitwood said.

City of DeLand spokeswoman Vicki Karr, said Wednesday that the employee identified as Dempsey Hadley, is a former employee. Hadley, who was facilities superintendent, retired from the city in April 2020 after 32 years, she said.

Hadley was taken into custody after an almost 5-hour standoff when deputies knocked down the second-floor back porch where he was standing telling deputies that he was going to fight and will not surrender, Chitwood said.

He was charged with three counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement officer and petty theft.

Shoplifting, pursuit, gun battle

The incident began at 4:30 a.m. when deputies got a shoplifting call at a Wawa convenience store on State Road 472 also known as Howland Boulevard in Deltona.

"Guy (Hadley) goes into the store, reaches over the counter, snatches a bunch of cigarettes, gets back into his pickup truck, takes off," Chitwood said at a press briefing near the scene.

Responding deputies spot the vehicle and try to stop Hadley but he does not. So, a low-speed pursuit followed back to Hadley's home on Whitehorse Court in Deltona, the sheriff said.

Deputies used stop sticks to flatten Hadley's tires but he kept going until he pulled into his driveway, Chitwood said.

Deputies ordered Hadley to get out of the vehicle but he did not comply.

So, deputies approached the pickup occupied by Hadley, the sheriff said.

Warning: Video below contains violence, some adult language.

"When they go to approach, thank God they had their shield with them and as they approached he fires at them," Chitwood said.

The sheriff pointed to a chip on the bulletproof shield where the bullet bounced off.

"This round right here was up in front of my sergeant's face my sergeant would have taken a shot in the head," Chitwood explained.

Hadley fires more shots at the deputies who retreated, but as they withdrew, Thomas was grazed, Chitwood said.

"He takes a graze wound to his face, they engage the suspect in a gun battle," Chitwood said.

Hadley then barricaded himself in his vehicle and negotiations with deputies failed. So, deputies, using their heavy equipment, pushed Hadley and his truck into the garage in an effort to pin him in, Chitwood said.

Once in the home, Hadley starts setting fires that engulfed his vehicle and eventually the home, Chitwood said.

Hadley then gets into the attic and drops back into the house that was catching fire.

For 45 minutes, as the house burned, Hadley went back and forth to the back porch yelling he was not going to surrender, Chitwood said.

"Eventually the smoke really gets thick and we're able to punch the studs that held the porch up, he falls to the ground and we were able to take him into custody," Chitwood said.

A police dog assisted in the apprehension, biting Hadley, the sheriff said.

A soot-covered Hadley was taken to the hospital with injuries. Chief Deputy Brian Henderson said they were not immediately certain if Hadley was injured in the gun battle.

Chitwood said Hadley's family said he had been acting erratically and had been charged by police for fleeing and eluding.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Deputy shot in standoff in Deltona by man barricaded in his car, home