Deputy showing girlfriend how to use gun kills her, FL cops say. He’s convicted

An ex-deputy was found guilty in the death of his girlfriend, accused of accidentally killing her while demonstrating how to use a firearm, Florida officials say.

Leslie Boileau was found guilty of manslaughter with a firearm on Wednesday, Oct. 1, in a Marion County courtroom, records show.

Boileau was a deputy with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office when the shooting happened, according to the Ocala Police Department. Ocala police responded to a call at about 11 p.m. Sept. 19, 2024, and arrived at Boileau’s home to find a woman fatally shot in the head with a 9mm handgun in her lap, the police department said, adding that a rifle was also at the scene.

Boileau said that, after getting home from dinner, he and his girlfriend were dry-firing the weapons. And while “demonstrating the use of a rifle,” he accidentally fired a round, which struck and killed his girlfriend, the sheriff’s office said.

According to investigators, Boileau and his girlfriend, 25-year-old Polina Wright, had three margaritas each at dinner that night, WFTV reported.

The bullet struck Wright’s head after going through her hand, CourtTV.com reported. Boileau said in court that “he didn’t know why she raised her hand” before he fired.

His attorney, Anthony Tatti, said in court that there is no evidence proving Boileau was aware his rifle was pointed at Wright when he pulled the trigger, WFTV reported.

“He made a mistake,” Tatti said, according to the outlet. “He’d be the object of a whale of a lawsuit but he’s not guilty of a crime.”

McClatchy News reached out to Tatti for comment Oct. 1 but did not immediately receive a response.

This story was originally published October 1, 2025 at 4:51 PM with the headline "Deputy showing girlfriend how to use gun kills her, FL cops say. He’s convicted."