The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office recently defused two domestic violence cases in two separate incidents in Brooksville.
On Jan. 6, two HCSO deputies responded to a victim’s call for police at 6223 California St. about 4 pm and confronted the subject, John Digangi outside the residence. According to Lieutenant John Cameron, the deputies retreated after they saw Mr. Digangi pull a what appeared to be a firearm, “putting them in fear that there was going to be an exchange of gunfire.”
The subject then ducked back into the house where he barricaded himself until giving up a few hours later with no further injuries or incidents. He was charged with a felony assault with firearms on the two deputies.
Another stand-off or barricade incident on Royal Drive in Brooksville, which started as a domestic dispute involving alcohol, ended peacefully when the suspect was taken into custody at 6:30 a.m. on Jan. 9.
No victims, deputies or the suspect were injured during the incident that was first reported at 7:41 p.m. Monday, Jan. 8. The suspect has been identified as William Cole Brinson, a deputy with the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, who has been employed with the agency since 2004.
Brinson, 43, is charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and three counts of domestic battery in connection with the incident. The investigation is ongoing.