Bodycam video shows moment Florida deputy is stabbed multiple times in brutal ambush attack

A North Florida deputy is expected to recover after authorities say he was ambushed and stabbed multiple times Wednesday while responding to a suspicious person call. Body camera video released by the sheriff's office captured the violent confrontation.

The Marion County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post on Thursday that Deputy Robert Fitch responded around 5 p.m. on May 13 to the city of Dunnellon after reports of a suspicious person.

The sheriff's office said that as Fitch stepped out of his patrol vehicle, 38-year-old Heriberto Medina Marquez immediately attacked him, knocking the deputy to the ground before climbing on top of him and repeatedly stabbing him in the chest.

"I knew the end result already when I watched the bodycam, but it's still, my heart rate is up," Lt. Paul Bloom told CBS affiliate in Orlando WKMG. "You feel that emotionally. You feel that tension and that fear, that moment where somebody's trying to kill you."

Deputy's bulletproof vest credited with saving his life

Authorities said Fitch's bulletproof vest likely saved his life.

"They're designed to stop bullets, not necessarily knife attacks," Bloom said. "The fact that his life was spared is a blessing to us."

According to investigators, Medina Marquez fled into a nearby wooded area after the stabbing. Deputies said that as Deputy Montalvo arrived on scene, Medina Marquez emerged from the woods and was taken into custody without further incident.

The sheriff's office also said Medina Marquez made threatening remarks after his arrest. While sitting in the back of a patrol vehicle, investigators said he told deputies, "I should have killed you, you know that right."

Following interviews and evidence collection, detectives determined Medina Marquez intentionally tried to kill Fitch, according to the sheriff's office.

Medina Marquez was arrested on a charge of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer and booked into the Marion County Jail, where he is being held without bond.

The sheriff's office said Fitch suffered minor injuries in the attack and is expected to return to work when he feels ready.