An ax-wielding Florida man picked the wrong home to break into Tuesday night when he busted down a sheriff’s deputy’s door and was shot multiple times, authorities said.

Steven William Thayer, 40, had already made numerous break-in attempts throughout the Apopka neighborhood when he used an ax to smash his way into the deputy’s home, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.

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The deputy, who was not named, shot the suspect multiple times to protect herself and her children, Sheriff John Mina said at a news conference. She was able to handcuff him after a struggle and hold him until deputies arrived.

"This could happen to anyone, but our deputies are trained to protect themselves, protect our community,” Mina said. “This person broke into a deputy's home with an ax, and who knows what his intentions were, but anyone like that is going to be met with lethal force by our deputies, and I think she did a great job."

Most of Thayer’s wounds were to his lower extremities, and he was expected to survive, Mina said.

Thayer was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and armed burglary of an occupied dwelling with a deadly weapon.

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He also faces an additional burglary charge for an incident prior to his run-in with the deputy.