A Florida Highway Patrol trooper opened fire on a suspect late Friday night after a hit-and-run crash on Lakeville Road in Orange County, leaving the suspect hospitalized and in custody while the trooper walked away unharmed. The confrontation unfolded after the suspect ditched the crash scene on foot and refused to cooperate with troopers who caught up to him.
According to WFTV, the incident began around 9:24 p.m. on Lakeville Road, when troopers responded to the hit-and-run crash. The suspect fled on foot and resisted arrest, the station reports, and he refused to comply with the trooper's instructions once confronted.
Taser Deployed Before Shots Fired
Per the same account, the trooper deployed a Taser multiple times in an attempt to subdue the suspect before ultimately firing a weapon and striking him. Fox 35 Orlando similarly reports that troopers deployed a Taser several times as the suspect resisted before the trooper fired his weapon.
The suspect was arrested and transported to a local hospital for medical treatment, the station's report notes. The trooper was not injured in the incident, and the suspect remains in custody, according to Fox 35 Orlando.
FDLE Opens Use-of-Force Investigation
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now conducting a use-of-force investigation into the shooting, the outlet notes. State officials described that kind of review as standard protocol for shootings involving law enforcement officers, the article states.
The case echoes other recent Florida Highway Patrol pursuits involving hit-and-run suspects. In June, the agency worked alongside the U.S. Marshals and the Florida Department in a multi-agency effort that led to the arrest of a suspect wanted on multiple hit-and-run and fleeing charges, underscoring how seriously the agency pursues drivers who flee crash scenes.
No further details on the suspect's identity, the specific charges he may face, or his condition following the shooting have been released. The FDLE investigation remains ongoing.
