Police say that Sherry Campbell, a 911 dispatcher with the Osceola County Sheriff’s office and her husband, St. Cloud Police Cpl. Claude Campbell, Jr., were asleep in their bedroom when their daughter, Ashley Doby, returned unexpectedly from a holiday vacation, The New York Daily News reports.
Awakened by noises inside the home, Campbell allegedly reached for a .38-caliber pistol and fired one shot in the direction of what she thought was a rapidly approaching intruder, hitting her daughter in the chest, officials say.
“Baby, I love you so much, please!” she could be heard sobbing during the gut-wrenching 911 call Tuesday night. “Please…Oh my god…”
Police say the shooting appears to be accidental, CNN reports. They noted that “the homeowner’s story is consistent with the physical evidence and the witness’ statement.”
Claude Campbell placed the 911 call late Tuesday while his step-daughter lay unconscious in the couple’s 10th Street home. He told the dispatcher that Ashley had passed out and had a pacemaker and a heart problem, according to a recording released by police, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
During the five-minute call, Campbell didn’t mention what caused Doby to struggle for breathe: a gunshot wound to the chest. He didn’t mention it because he was asleep when his wife allegedly shot Doby, police say. He didn’t know what happened until his wife told him what happened, authorities say.
The young woman was visiting from North Carolina and didn’t live in the home, said St. Cloud police Sgt. Denise Roberts, according to Fox News.
The area where Campbell and his wife live in St. Cloud, is a quiet area, just east of the city’s downtown. On Wednesday neighbors said they were shocked to learn about the shooting because they didn’t hear a lot of police presence the night before. Some were even still awake. The area is safe enough that one resident often leaves his garage door up at night, the Sentinel reports.
Friends and neighbors also said the mother and daughter were best friends, The New York Daily News reports.
Roberts said that Campbell, 45, has worked at the St. Cloud Police Department since 1998 and has served as an undercover officer for several narcotic units. She noted he is taking administrative leave from the department for family-related medical purposes.
The shooting will be reviewed by the state attorney’s office to determine whether charges should be filed after the St. Cloud Police Department completes its investigation, Fox News reports.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will not investigate the case because the alleged shooter wasn’t a law enforcement officer.
