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Hernando Today

Deputy Cleared In Fatal Shooting

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By KYLE MARTIN

Hernando Today

Published: December 17, 2008

SPRING HILL - No criminal charges will be pressed against the deputy who fatally shot a Spring Hill man on Oct. 21.

The state attorney's office made its decision Monday after reviewing the completed report by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Deputy Lance Origon has been reinstated to full duty. An internal investigation at the sheriff's office now opens to determine whether he violated any department policies.

The events leading up to Luis Guillen's death are detailed in a memo dated Dec. 15 from the state attorney's office to Sheriff Richard Nugent.

In it, Chief Assistant State Attorney Ric Ridgway repeats a now-familiar narrative, but the memo does offer a few new details into the shooting.

Guillen, 36, spent the prior evening drinking with his friends. Witnesses described him as "pretty lit up" and "three sheets to the wind."

Around 2 a.m., he returned to the home of his friend, Joel Dulje. Dulje had reneged on his offer to let Guillen stay the night and Guillen began "acting all weird." In the heat of the argument, Guillen went to his bicycle and retrieved a silver handgun.

Another friend, Michael Galdorisi, came outside to defuse the situation. Guillen aimed the gun at Galdorisi's chest, then fired a shot into the ground. He next struck Galdorisi in the head with the gun, before pedaling off on his bicycle.

Galdorisi called authorities and gave a description of Guillen. Deputy Origon was on his way to investigate when he saw a bicyclist approaching on Elgin Boulevard. He switched on his spotlight to illuminate the cyclist and saw he matched the shooter.
Origon ordered Guillen to stay where he was, but Guillen dropped the bicycle and turned to face the deputy, according to the memo. He put his hands part of the way up, then dropped them to his sides as he backed away from Origon.

At this point, Origon's brother, Deputy Derek Origon, arrived as backup. Together, with guns drawn, they ordered Guillen to stay where he was. But Guillen continued to back away, before reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a gun, the memo states.
Origon fired two fatal shots that hit Guillen in the chest; Derek Origon did not fire.

FDLE lab tests matched a shell casing from Dulje's yard to the gun found on Guillen. Guillen was on probation at the time for carrying a concealed weapon.

In his memo, Ridgway cites Florida law that authorizes a law enforcement officer to use any force reasonably needed to defend himself or herself.

He continues, "Deputy Lance Origon was aware he was dealing with an armed individual who had already fired a shot, had struck someone with a gun, who repeatedly refused to obey orders and who then pulled a firearm while in close proximity to the deputy."

He concludes that Origon's actions were "reasonable, and therefore lawful."

On Tuesday, a friend of Guillen, Heather Seiwell, said she understands the deputy's actions. Given the circumstances, "I would have done the same thing," she said.

But Seiwell also noted that Guillen had a good side. Something must have been very wrong with him that night for him to have done that, she said. There's no other explanation in her mind.

"I guess you don't know people as well as you think you do," she said.

Reporter Kyle Martin can be reached at 352-544-5271 or kmartin@hernandotoday.com.

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