Authorities have identified the Florida sheriff’s deputy killed in an ambush shooting that also wounded two other deputies as Master Deputy Sheriff Bradley Michael Link. The incident occurred on Friday night when all three deputies responded to a disturbance at a home in rural Eustis.
Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell announced on Saturday via the office’s Facebook page that Link died “heroically serving his community and fellow deputies.” The confrontation resulted in the deaths of two suspects, while a third suspect was wounded.
The sequence of events began around 8 p.m., when police received a report of a disturbance. Two deputies initially arrived at one location before being directed to another home. At the second home, they discovered a door that appeared to have been kicked in, Sheriff Grinnell recounted to reporters early Saturday morning.
As the deputies entered the home, they encountered heavy gunfire. One deputy was shot and trapped inside while the other retreated. Additional officers then arrived on the scene and formed a team to enter the house, but they too were met with “a hail of gunfire,” resulting in another deputy being struck multiple times.
The deputy who succumbed to his injuries was later identified as Link. The second deputy sustained a shoulder wound and was reported to be in stable condition. The third deputy, who was hit in the armpit, groin, and stomach area, was in “serious/critical” condition following surgery, according to Sheriff Grinnell.
SWAT team members played a crucial role in reentering the house in Eustis, which is located approximately 37 miles northwest of Orlando. Using specialized equipment, they worked to extract Link from the scene, effectively dismantling parts of the home in the process. Inside, they found two suspects dead and took a third to the hospital.
Sheriff Grinnell noted that there had been no previous history of violent crime at the residence and that nothing suggested imminent danger before the deputies were “ambushed.” Multiple firearms, including both long guns and handguns, were subsequently discovered at the scene.
Link, who was 28 years old, first joined the county sheriff’s office as a young Explorer and went on to serve in the Army reserves. He began his career as a deputy sheriff in Polk County in 2017 before transferring to the Lake County sheriff’s office in October 2019.
Known affectionately as “Brad” within the office, Sheriff Grinnell said Link “quickly became part of our family and faithfully served our citizens with courage and zeal.” He added that Link “touched the lives of all who were blessed enough to work with him” and that his contributions and the impact of his loss “will not soon be forgotten.”
