A Florida deputy has been charged with manslaughter after shooting and killing his girlfriend, 25-year-old Polina Wright, in what he alleges to be an accident while cleaning guns. The incident which took place on the night of Thursday, Sept. 19, unfolded after the Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy called 9-1-1 to report the shooting.
“I know this looks really bad. I told her I did not want this to happen,” said Leslie Boileau to authorities when they arrived at his home. According to a news release from the Ocala Police Department, Boileau stated during questioning that the shooting was “accidental,” and that it occurred as he and his girlfriend were “handling and dry-firing the firearms.”
Boileau told authorities that the two had come home from dinner and opened a recently ordered package of gun cleaning supplies, which is when his girlfriend asked him to show her how to clean a gun. Later reports expanded upon the statement as it appears the couple had also been drinking, indicating that they had each consumed three margaritas.
Boileau stated he was demonstrating how to disassemble and clean a 9mm handgun and an AR-style rifle. For some unknown reason, he claims the two pointed the guns at each other.
According to an arrest report obtained by FOX 13, he “grabbed the rifle and dry-fired it one time.” In a subsequent dry-fire attempt, Boileau states that he forgot he had “placed the loaded magazine into the rifle” which discharged a round into Wright’s forehead.
“Upon arrival, officers found the victim with a fatal gunshot wound to her forehead. A 9mm handgun was observed on the victim’s lap, and a rifle was also present at the scene,” the news release states.
A search warrant executed at the residence by the Ocala Police Department revealed physical evidence that corroborated Boileau’s account.
“In light of these findings, Leslie Boileau has been arrested for manslaughter for his role in the fatal shooting,” according to the department’s news release. Boileau is being held in the Marion County Jail without bond and was “immediately terminated” from the department after having served eight years as a deputy sheriff. The Sheriff’s office has confirmed the gun used in the fatal incident was not his service firearm.
“We are heartbroken for the family and friends of the victim. Tens of thousands of law enforcement officers do their job commendably every day. But unfortunately, the tragic actions of just one are felt through the entire law enforcement community. The Ocala Police Department has the support of my office as they continue to finish their investigation of this tragic incident,” says Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods.
Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken also expressed condolences to the victim’s family and loved ones, stating that the “Ocala Police Department is working with the State Attorney’s Office to ensure justice is served.”
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