ZOLFO SPRINGS, FLORIDA — In a notable incident in Hardee County, Florida, a confrontation between a deputy and suspect Morgan Miguel Garcia, 29, escalated when a civilian intervened.

Garcia, facing multiple charges including aggravated assault with a firearm and robbery, had violated a no-contact order. Responding to a domestic battery report, deputies found Garcia in a backyard, armed with an AR-15 belonging to the intended victim’s father. Refusing to disarm, Garcia engaged in gunfire with the deputy.

In defense of his family, the father retrieved his 9mm handgun and also fired at Garcia, who attempted to enter the home by shooting at the door and breaking a window with the firearm.

The standoff ended when Garcia fled, later to be apprehended “without incident” following a tip.