A multi-location hit-and-run rampage in South Tampa came to a fatal conclusion yesterday. Suspect Jeremiah Bailey, a 48-year-old male with a past marred by violence, struck multiple pedestrians, leaving one dead and others injured before being shot by police, as reported by the Tampa Police Department.
The string of events unfolded starting at 8:35 pm when Bailey began with a confrontation at a Dollar General store, followed by a series of assaults using his vehicle, the first of which targeted Eric Archield, a 47-year-old male and after a brief dispute fled the scene, later on, Archield’s friend discharged a firearm in an attempt to stop Bailey who drove away and subsequently ran over Jesse Rickett, inflicting serious head trauma, Rickett remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition, following these events, Bailey hit and killed an unnamed Hispanic male, his identity is still under investigation—these incidents activated multiple crime scene probes and caught on various footage including Tampa Police Aviation and Body-Worn Camera as detailed by the Department.
In a swift response, Tampa Police officers located and pursued Bailey which led to a high-speed chase onto I-275 northbound; officers performed a PIT maneuver to halt the vehicle and during the confrontation, believing their safety to be compromised as Bailey appeared to reach for something, seven officers discharged their weapons, resulting in Bailey's death at the scene with no firearm discovered in his immediate possession however, the area of travel is still under search, and investigations continue to unfold these somber details.
Names of both the involved officers and those injured during the incident have been released: Officers Algenis Maceo, Jacob Petit, Andrew Haase, Bryan Velazquez, Erik Lopez, Santiago Alzate-Castro, and Nathan Berry were the seven who opened fire, while non-fatally injured officers, Sergeant Joe Ltief, Officer Rachel Carr, and Officer Joseph Barry, have been treated and released, with injuries identified as likely due to ricochet or debris rather than a direct gunshot—all involved officers have been placed on administrative leave, a standard procedure following such an occurrence.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is leading the investigation into the officer-involved shooting, while the Tampa Police are working to piece together the events that led to the chaos. They aim to provide answers to help make sense of the destruction caused by the suspect, as stated by the Tampa Police Department.
