Two Florida deputies who were seriously injured when a man intentionally drove into them in a shocking incident that was caught on camera are speaking out as they continue their long road to recovery.
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Corporal Carlos Brito and Deputy Manuel Santos were seriously injured in the Nov. 9 incident in Brandon, near Tampa.
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WATCH HERESantos was recently released from the hospital but Brito still remains hospitalized.
"All things considered, I'm thankful that I'm alive, that I have my wife and I'm still gonna be here to care for my three daughters that I have that are home waiting for me," Brito said from his hospital bed in a video released by the sheriff's office.
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"Extremely happy, that's how I feel," Santos said. "The chances of me being here obviously were pretty slim and none for a second, but I made it out here."
The deputies had responded to a call from a woman who said she was in fear of her son, who she said was behaving violently when encountered a man, 28-year-old Ralph Bouzy, who was in a car outside the home. He refused to speak with the deputies and drove away, officials said.
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A short time later Bouzy returned and deliberately crashed into the deputies and their patrol vehicle.
Footage from houses and body cameras released by the sheriff's office shows the speeding car slamming into the deputies.
Santos recalled the moment the car came hurtling toward the deputies.
"We see the car, immediately I tried to push corporal out of the way from what I've been told, I didn't even know I did this, I did this out of, just who I am," he said. "I push him out of the way, I push myself out of the way and when I fall on the ground and make sure I wasn't bleeding, make sure I didn't need a tourniquet, and I noticed I wasn't. Back in the fight, pulled my firearm out, pointed it towards this guy."
The footage shows other deputies who responded confronting Bouzy, who was outside of the car. The officers are seen using a Taser to take him into custody.
Bouzy has previously been arrested for three felonies and 14 misdemeanors, and is facing charges of attempted murder on a law enforcement officer, officials said.
Santos and Brito were immediately rushed to the hospital.
"These deputies, both of them, are in for a long road to recovery," Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the video.
Though Santos was released from the hospital, he'll have to undergo surgery in December for knee reconstruction.
"I'm thankful for my immediate family, I'm thankful for obviously my Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office family, I'm beyond grateful for the community as well and I'm just grateful that I'm here today," Santos said in the video.
Brito will be undergoing a fifth surgery as surgeons work to save his left leg, which was severely damaged in the incident.
Chronister also announced that $40,000 had been raised by the community to provide financial assistance to the deputies.
"I'm so grateful that the two of them are alive, I'm so grateful that they're progressing as well as they are, and I'm grateful that this community and this sheriff's office continues to support them," Chronister said.
"It's not until it happens to you that you actually feel the full force of the community and how it is important, how they care for us," Brito said.
