Officials say Florida police officer accidentally shoots his girlfriend

A North Florida police officer was fired after telling investigators he accidentally shot his girlfriend while cleaning his gun, authorities said Friday.

Ocala police said officers were called to the home of Marion County Deputy Leslie Boileau late Thursday night and found a woman with a fatal gunshot wound to the forehead and a 9 mm handgun in her lap. A rifle was also found at the scene.

“The Ocala Police Department is working with the District Attorney’s Office to ensure justice is served,” Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken said in a statement.

Boileau told officers that the shooting occurred while he and his girlfriend were holding the guns and dry firing. After his arrest, Boileau told investigators that while demonstrating the use of a rifle, he accidentally fired a loaded cartridge, killing the woman.

A search warrant for Boileau's house confirmed his statement, police said. Officials did not initially disclose the girlfriend's name.

Boileau was arrested and charged with manslaughter. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney. Online jail records did not show a record of his admission, and his case did not appear on the district court website on Friday.

Boileau was immediately fired from the sheriff's office, where he had served for eight years. Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said in a statement that the Ocala Police Department had the support of his office.

“Tens of thousands of police officers do their jobs every day, and we do so commendably,” Woods said. “But unfortunately, the tragic actions of a single officer are felt throughout the entire police community.”