On Thursday, March 13, family and friends, along with community leaders, spoke at a press conference organized by Reverend Doctor Emery Ailes, a local clergyman. The purpose was to try and find some answers regarding the killing of Michael O’Banner, a 62-year-old African American man, who was shot by Hernando County Deputy Dylan Cianfarani around 9:30 pm on Feb. 6, 2025.
Here is how the incident in South Brooksville unfolded: O’Banner was a passenger in a vehicle driven by Darryl Smith. Deputy Cianfarani conducted a routine traffic stop. At some point, O’Banner exited the vehicle and started running, and the deputy pursued him.
At a briefing shortly after the shooting, Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis stated that after O’Banner ran about 400 feet, Deputy Cianfarani caught up with him and a “very violent struggle” ensued. The deputy at first used his taser, but according to Nienhuis, “the taser had no effect on O’Banner.” He then shot O’Banner. Because Hernando deputies don’t wear body cameras, there is not a complete video of the incident.
At about 2 a.m. the following morning, Sheriff Nienhuis was back at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, the scene of the shooting, accompanied by Mark Bruntnell, a special investigator with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). Sheriff Nienhuis expanded on his earlier comments, stating that the deputy sustained a “pretty pronounced bite mark on the neck.”
He continued, “Michael O’Banner had an extensive police record which included 24 felony convictions.”
Sheriff Nienhuis added that because of O’Banner’s numerous run-ins with the law, “he’s definitely someone who probably you could make the argument that he should not have been out on the street.” O’Banner’s most recent felony convictions occurred in 2017 and include FELONY PETIT THEFT 2 OR MORE PRIORS, RESIST OR OBSTRUCT OFFICER WITHOUT VIOLENCE, and BATTERY. However, according to people who spoke at the press conference, O’Banner was turning his life around. He even participated in prayer services on the street corner.
When O’Banner’s family found out from social media that he had been shot, they did not know his condition. They rushed to the hospital. O’Banner’s sister, Gloria Miller, stated that when they got there, at first nobody would tell them anything, but they saw several deputies standing outside Mr. O’Banner’s room. “They wouldn’t let us go in and identify him,” she remarked.
At the second briefing, Bruntnell remarked, “We will conduct interviews, forensic analysis…We will then write a very comprehensive report which will then be provided to the State Attorney’s office of the Fifth Circuit and they will determine, based on our factual report, as to the outcome of this incident.”
O’Banner’s aunt, Sabrina O’Banner, a former law enforcement officer, commented, “There are a lot of unanswered questions. So once we have all the results back [from the FDLE] we’ll have a better understanding. It goes through my mind every day, from being on both sides, as a family member and ex-law enforcement, I understand that there are procedures and levels of which weapon you’re going to use. Right now, we’re just kind of guessing, ‘Why did this happen.’ We just need to wait until we get all the reports back. I know there’s a God and he will give us a better understanding and I pray for the family and for the sheriff’s office and Nienhuis. We’re just wanting justice. I pray that nobody else will go through this.”
Arthur Thomas, who grew up with Michael and is a retired probation and parole officer, read an email that he sent to County Commissioner Steve Champion regarding the implementation of body cameras. It stated in part:
“There have been a number of officer-involved shootings in Hernando County, more recently the death of Michael O’Banner…Body cameras can record interactions between officers and the public, which can be used as evidence, training, and accountability. Body cameras can help build trust between police and the community and deter unprofessional or illegal behavior by both the police and the public. It also allows for transparency.”
Thomas urged that the Commission put into place a plan for procuring body cameras and suggested that a petition be circulated for citizens of Hernando County to sign to this effect.
Pam Everett, who ran for county commission in November of last year but lost, reiterated Thomas’ remarks and commented, ”We would request that the ‘cams’ stay on for the entire duration of their duty [shift].”
“The county commission is there to serve the public and the public is speaking loud and clear. Last election [2024], it was brought to the attention of the candidate running for sheriff and the current sheriff [Nienhuis] that body cams was a very big issue,” she continued.
Next to speak was Imani Asukile, a native of Brooksville and a community leader. “I’m here to address some of the concerns of the community, like how did this young officer get assigned to South Brooksville at such a young age, wondering about the maturity of him and had he developed a relationship in the community with the citizens.”
Another question that came up was why there were not two officers in the patrol car being that the incident took place at night in an area that is problematic regarding crime.
In response to both these questions, HCSO Public Information Officer Michael Terry stated in an email, “A deputy with two to three years on the job is already considered to have enough experience to become a field training officer. (This is a deputy who helps train newly hired deputies). Given the size of our agency, we cannot afford to have two deputies in a single vehicle. If we had two-person units, those units would only be able to handle ½ the number of calls for service, which is not ideal.”
Reverend Wilene Adkins, in commenting about O’Banner’s criminal history, stated, “You have to recognize we all have a past, but we’ve all got a future. Mike served his time. He didn’t bother anybody. If you drove down the street, what would you see Mike doing? Washing somebody’s car, raking somebody’s yard to keep himself active.”
As with any incident such as this, rumors and word of mouth travel fast. One such version of the story is that O’Banner was shot in the back several times. However, the sheriff’s office stated that a preliminary autopsy confirmed O’Banner was not shot in the back.
The tone of the press conference was subdued; there was no anger expressed, just sadness that this tragedy happened. Their main concerns are that full details will come out soon and that the HCSO will equip their officers with body cameras as soon as possible.
O’Banner’s daughter, Latasha O’Banner, was not at the news conference but commented by phone a few days later. She stated that Feb. 6 was her 37th birthday. She was home and found out about the shooting through Facebook. “It was a live video that showed him on the ground and he wasn’t moving… I don’t know what happened in the back of the ambulance.”
Ms. O’Banner reiterated what other people have said about Michael−that he was trying to turn his life around. He had served his time and was not even on probation. She stated that, probably because of his background, her father panicked and ran. The officer did not find drugs on Mr. O’Banner and he was not armed.
However, as stated by Sheriff Nienhuis, Deputy Cianfarani pursued O’Banner and a “violent struggle” ensued between them in which a taser had no effect to subdue O’Banner. Although a preliminary autopsy was conducted, Ms. O’Banner, along with family and friends, raised money for an independent autopsy. The results are pending.
A resident who lives on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., who preferred not to be identified, stated that she was in her house watching TV and heard “at least two shots.” She also stated that she immediately went outside to her yard to see what was going on and saw O’Banner on the ground. In her estimation, he was already dead.
Shortly after the incident, a deputy noticed a security camera on her house. He entered her home and asked to see the video footage. The resident told him that there was no video because she had not renewed her subscription. However, the deputy took her cell phone and she has not yet gotten it back. Around midnight, the FDLE investigator interviewed the resident, who told him what she had seen.
The whole situation is tragic for all concerned− the family and friends of Michael O’Banner, Deputy Cianfarani, the entire Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, and the community at large.
