Photo: Lake County Sheriff’s Office
A Florida woman is facing numerous charges after a deputy was killed and two other officers were injured in an ambush attack. Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell said his office received a 911 call on Friday (August 2) from the neighbor of 48-year-old Julie Sulpizio to report that she was "in his yard assaulting people that were present and trespassing on the caller's property."
"The (caller) stated [Sulpizio] was acting religious, accusing them of being senators, and she knows what they did," Grinnell explained. "But Julie states that she is 'Helen' under God's will."
When deputies arrived, Sulpizio accused her neighbors of committing acts of pedophilia.
Grinnell said that Sulpizio continued to call herself Helen, at one point stating: "Julie is in heaven."
Officers eventually detained Sulpizio and then went to her home. As officers entered, they came under heavy fire. Master Deputy Sheriff Bradley Michael Link was struck by gunfire and taken hostage by Julie's husband, Michael.
Master Deputy Sheriff Harold Howell was also shot but managed to escape.
Officers tried negotiating with Michael and his two adult daughters to release Link.
"Master Deputy Link's body-worn camera continuously recorded audio and video from within the residence facing up toward the ceiling, and at 9:24 p.m., a female yells from within the residence as she racks a firearm and states, 'My king will kill all of you. You are Lucifer's children,'" Grinnell said. "This was in response to deputies yelling for Master Deputy Link to crawl to them."
After the negotiations failed, Deputy First Class Stefano Gargano led a team into the home to try to rescue Deputy Link. As he moved through the house, he was shot several times through the wall. He managed to escape and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
Eventually, the SWAT team was able to enter the house and rescue Link. He was rushed to the hospital, where he died from his injuries. Officers found the bodies of Michael and his two daughters, Savannah and Cheyenne. They all appeared to have died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
While searching the home, detectives recovered over 20 firearms, gas masks, body armor, ghillie suits, and ammunition. They also found "anti-government propaganda" and "conspiracy-theory-related media."
Sulpizio is facing numerous charges, including premeditated first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, seven counts of attempted murder, and four counts of battery.