DELTONA, FL – The Volusia Sheriff’s Office successfully took an armed shoplifting suspect into custody after a standoff that led to a house fire in Deltona. The suspect, identified as Dempsey Hadley, initially fled from deputies and fired at them, resulting in a deputy being grazed by a bullet and another deputy’s ballistic shield being struck.
The incident began around 4:30 a.m. when deputies responded to a report of shoplifting at the Wawa at 3400 Howland Blvd. An employee reported that Hadley, a regular customer, stole cigarettes and was armed with a knife. Upon the arrival of deputies, Hadley fled in his vehicle, driving at one deputy and evading another’s attempt at a traffic stop.
Deputies managed to deploy stop sticks, deflating the driver’s side tires of Hadley’s vehicle. However, he continued at a slow speed to his home at 3230 Whitehorse Court. Attempts to conduct a felony stop were unsuccessful as Hadley refused to comply and fired shots when deputies approached his vehicle.
During the standoff, Hadley set fires inside his truck and remained inside the vehicle. Deputies safely evacuated Hadley’s son and a dog from his house. SWAT, K-9 units, drones, and other resources were deployed to the scene.
Eventually, SWAT used a Bearcat vehicle to reposition Hadley’s truck, blocking it from fleeing and pushing it into the garage. Hadley then moved into the attic, and a fire broke out, engulfing the upper floors of the house. Despite continued negotiations and the house fire, Hadley initially refused to surrender.
SWAT ultimately used a boom on the Bearcat to dismantle the balcony where Hadley had emerged, safely bringing him to the ground away from the burning house.
