Bobby Earl Driggers, Dead in Seffner Shooting

The man fatally shot by a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office deputy today, May 14, has been identified as 50-year-old Bobby Earl Driggers.

"Driggers has a violent history as a career criminal dating as far back as 1993 in the state of Kansas, where he served prison time for crimes such as murder, armed robbery and attempted murder," according to a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Report, issued at 7:06 p.m. tonight.

In Florida, "Drigger's crime spree dates back [to] 2003, with prison time served for 14 criminal charges with eight felony convictions," the report continues. "These crimes included armed robbery, aggravated assault with a weapon, burglary and grand theft auto."

His address was reported to be in Seffner, on West Tennessee Avenue, about two miles from where he was shot earlier in the afternoon, at 904 West Wheeler Road. But "whether or not he was still living at this address, we don't know," Sheriff David Gee said at the scene.

What Gee did say is that the man, now identified as Driggers, "is a multi-state offender," a "career criminal," who was "on our radar over the last few days, involved in some violent crimes."

• See Sheriff Gee: Deputy's Shot Kills 'Career Criminal' (Video)

Events leading up to the shooting reportedly started at 1:15 p.m., when detective Jack Thompson, 46, an 18-year veteran of the force, spotted Driggers standing outside a mobile home at 904 West Wheeler Road in Seffner.

According to the sheriff's report:

• Thompson called for backup, then made contact with Driggers, who was standing next to an older, Jeep Cherokee, parked in the front yard.

• "In a matter of seconds, Driggers attacked detective Thompson and ripped his pancake holster and 40-cal[iber] gloc from his trouser belt."

• Thompson and Driggers fell into the back seat of the jeep, "and a violent struggle ensued." Driggers tried to remove the gun from its holster "while Thompson was trying to hold onto it long enough for his backup to arrive."

• That backup, in the form of deputy Manual "Manny" Gonzalez, 37, a 16-year-veteran, arrived at 1:17 p.m.

• Gonzalez found Thompson "fighting for his life while holding onto the gun." He screamed out, "Shoot him, he has my gun."

• Gonzalez fired one round from his 40-caliber service gun, "striking Driggers once in the upper body, ceasing all further aggression."

• Hillsborough County Fire Rescure arrived on the scene and transported Driggers to Tampa General Hosptial, where he died a short time after arrival.

There were no other injuries.

Both the detective and the deputy were placed on routine administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office.