The burglar, Tonnie Mego Sylvester has a rap sheet a mile long. He has served a 15-year sentence in prison for burglary and theft convictions with fifty other arrests in other counties including Alachua and Putnam counties. GPD says he had nine different names and three Social Security numbers.

The investigation is just beginning at the corner of Northeast 11th Street and 9th Avenue in the Fairfield neighborhood.

Darrell Mobley heard the gunshot about 10:30 A.M. while he was working at his business across the street.

"The guy must have figured no one was home and surprise, someone was there," says Mobley.

Police says the homeowner call 911 when she heard someone breaking in a back door. Officer Daniel Surrency arrived two minutes later.

"Our suspect never got to our victims," says Gainesville Police Lt. Keith Kameg. "They were locked in rooms, it could have been much worse for our victims, so we're happy they're okay."

Kameg says when Surrency arrived he confronted Sylvester in the kitchen, there was some kind of struggle and that's when Sylvester was shot.

"We had a victim that was a phenomenal witness," says Kameg. "She stayed on the line the whole time, giving officers a description as they came in. We had multiple officers there just seconds after Officer Surrency."

Surrency was treated for minor injuries at the scene. Kameg says there will be a full investigation from internal affairs on the officer's actions.

"Everything gets looked at," says Kameg. "Everything you did will get looked at today. 'Were there any possible violations?;' that is standard police protocol so that takes some time."

The owner of the home says his house has been broken into once since he and his wife moved in three years ago.

Meanwhile, Darrell Mobley says he's a little bit nervous being across the street, but he's just glad the police did their job and kept his neighbors from getting hurt.

"It's a good neighborhood," says Mobley. "You just get people that come off into this neighborhood, they are doing this, maybe this will keep them out."

Officer Surrency has been employed by GPD for two years and is on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation.

By Dan Breitwieser, WCJB TV20 News