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Damarion Murray

Age : 18

Gender : Male

Race : Black

Date : 08/08/2024

Location : Meridian Pointe Apartments, 2450 E. Hillsborough Avenue

City : Tampa

County : Hillsborough

State : Florida

Agency : Tampa Police Department, SWAT

Officer(s) :Joshua Williams

Cause of Death : Suicide

Event : Suicide under police duress during barricade and standoff

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/08/2024, at approximately 3:40 p.m., Tampa Police Detective Bryan Tracey was conducting a follow-up investigation involving reported harassing phone calls when the victim, a teenage female, reported seeing 18-year-old Damarion Murray at the Meridian Pointe Apartments on East Hillsborough Avenue. As Detective Tracey responded, Murray allegedly chased the victim while armed with a handgun, fired two shots at her, and forced her at gunpoint into an occupied apartment containing four adults and three children.
Responding officers forced entry into the apartment to evacuate the victim and the other occupants. Murray ran into a rear bedroom while officers remained near the doorway issuing commands for him to surrender. According to the Tampa Police Department and the Medical Examiner's findings, officers then heard one gunshot from the room, followed by a pause and a second gunshot. Believing they were being fired upon, Officer Joshua Williams, a five-year Tampa Police veteran with approximately ten years of prior law-enforcement experience, fired two rounds toward the rear room. Officers withdrew, and the Tampa Police SWAT Team established a perimeter and continued negotiations.
After the standoff ended, SWAT officers entered the apartment and found Murray dead inside a closet. The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner determined that Murray died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, and investigators recovered a .380-caliber Bersa pistol along with physical evidence supporting that conclusion. Investigators also reported evidence that at least one round had been fired from the room occupied by Murray toward the officers before his death.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement assumed responsibility for the investigation into Officer Joshua Williams' discharge of his firearm. Williams was placed on administrative leave, consistent with department policy. Public reporting through 2026 identified no criminal charges, disciplinary action, or civil lawsuit against Williams arising from the incident. A search of publicly available records also located no verified prior officer-involved shootings, major disciplinary actions, criminal charges, or significant civil-rights lawsuits involving Officer Joshua Williams before this event.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://westorlandonews.com/barricaded-central-florida-suspect-who-shot-at-officers-died-by-suicide
https://www.tampa.gov/news/2024-08/barricaded-suspect-who-shot-officers-found-deceased-154046
https://www.fox13news.com/news/video-tampa-police-help-teen-others-escape-from-armed-barricaded-suspect-before-deadly-standoff