The Hernando County deputies were injured after authorities said a man fired through a door during a SWAT search in Spring Hill.
SPRING HILL, FL — Two Hernando County sheriff’s deputies were wounded after a suspect allegedly opened fire through a door while a SWAT team was serving a narcotics search warrant at a Spring Hill residence, according to reporting released Thursday.
FOX 13 Tampa Bay identified the suspect as Anthony Cusati and reported that the shooting occurred during a narcotics operation involving the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. The available reporting said both deputies were injured by the gunfire, but authorities had not released detailed information about the nature or severity of their wounds in the material reviewed Thursday.
The confrontation began as members of the sheriff’s SWAT team carried out the search warrant, according to the report. At some point during the operation, Cusati allegedly fired from inside the residence and the rounds traveled through a door, striking two deputies. Further details about what happened immediately before the shots were fired were not available.
Authorities had not publicly provided a full chronology of the raid, including how officers approached the home, whether anyone else was inside or how long the confrontation lasted. It also was not immediately clear from the available information whether deputies returned fire or whether Cusati was injured during the encounter.
The reason investigators sought the narcotics search warrant also had not been detailed in the reporting available Thursday. The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office regularly uses its Vice and Narcotics Unit and specialized teams to execute search warrants connected to drug investigations, but officials had not released information establishing what evidence they expected to find in this particular case.
Cusati’s status following the shooting, including whether he was taken into custody and what charges he may face in connection with the deputies’ injuries, could not be independently confirmed from the sheriff’s publicly available material reviewed Thursday. Any criminal allegations would remain accusations unless proven in court.
The names of the wounded deputies had not been released in the material reviewed. Authorities also had not provided information about their assignments, length of service or whether either deputy had been released from medical care.
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office maintains public records for arrests, incidents and press releases, but a detailed agency statement about the shooting was not available in the material reviewed Thursday. Additional information could clarify the deputies’ conditions, Cusati’s custody status and the circumstances surrounding the gunfire.
The investigation remained active Thursday, and authorities had not announced a complete account of the shooting or any final charging decisions.
Author note: Last updated September 10, 2026.