Miraculous Escape: Officer’s Body Camera Deflects Bullet in Brutal Ambush – Watch the Shocking Footage

A dramatic video has emerged showing a Florida police officer’s body camera deflecting a bullet, preventing it from hitting his chest during a routine investigation last month.

The tense situation unfolded as Deputy Jose Rivera and his trainee were dispatched to a residence in Volusia County on March 1. They were responding to a report of assault and battery, as confirmed by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.

Upon their arrival, the deputies encountered the suspect, who was later identified as Luis Diaz Polanco.

Footage from the body camera captures the moment when Luis Diaz Polanco allegedly exited his home and fired at the officers, hitting Deputy Rivera. This incident occurred on March 1, 2026, in Volusia County, Florida, according to the sheriff’s office.

Authorities report that as the deputies attempted to communicate with Polanco, he retreated into the house, reemerged with a handgun, and allegedly began shooting at them.

Rivera was subsequently struck in the leg and shoulder “after a round ricocheted off of his chest-mounted body-worn camera,” the department said.

Video shows the shootout and the aftermath, including fellow deputies pulling a bloodied Rivera to safety and applying tourniquets. 

Police place a tourniquet on Deputy Jose Rivera after he was shot several times in Volusia County, Fla., on Sunday, March 1, 2026. (Volusia County Sheriff’s Office)

Rivera, a father of three, is then placed into the back of a police car and transported to a hospital, where he is expected to make a full recovery.

Additional video shows Polanco on the ground with his hands behind his back as police take him into custody. 

He was later charged with attempted murder, according to police.

Deputy Jose Rivera’s body camera shielded him from being shot in the chest while responding to a call regarding an assault in Volusia County, Fla., on March 1, 2026. (Volusia County Sheriff’s Office)

While in custody, Polanco allegedly told police he had a “horrible day” before the shooting and was previously involved in a confrontation with an unidentified woman, Sheriff Mike Chitwood said in a news conference. 

“When the deputies came up to the house, [Polanco] had every intention to shoot them,” Chitwood said, adding a direct quote from the suspect, “‘If I didn’t run out of ammunition, I would have killed them all.’”

Polanco allegedly told officers he was experiencing a mental health crisis at the time of the alleged incident. 

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office shared a photo on social media showing the damaged body camera that stopped the bullet from hitting Rivera in the chest, with the caption, “Deputy Rivera’s body cam took a bullet headed for his chest. His fellow deputies pulled him to safety. Thank God for that.”

“There’s a lot of scumbags out there that have a lot of things to say,” Chitwood said. “What they did, what those deputies did, was absolutely outstanding. It was bravery, there was restraint involved. They did everything you could ever ask a law enforcement professional to do.” 

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.