Florida mass shooting suspect killed during police pursuit

WINTER HAVEN, Florida (AP) — A man suspected of a mass shooting in central Florida last month was fatally shot by a police officer after a long chase and carjacking, authorities said.

The car, driven by 21-year-old Alex Green, ended up crashing into a business in Winter Haven. It’s near Lakeland, where 11 people were injured in the Jan. 30 shooting, Lakeland Police Chief Sammy Taylor said.

“We are very confident that he was indeed involved; to what extent we don’t know yet,” Taylor said.

Taylor said detectives were hoping to call Green on a pending burglary warrant to talk to him about the Jan. 30 shooting in an area near downtown Lakeland, about 30 miles (50 km) east of Tampa.

While investigators from the Lakeland Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement were on the lookout, Green got into a pickup truck and began to drive away, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at the time of the incident. News conference.

The Lakeland police gave chase along a busy road.

Police Captain Eric Harper was driving an unmarked car and trying to stop Greene “so we don’t have this chase on a very busy road,” Judd said.

He made a successful pit maneuver and Green got out of the car and began to crash into traffic.

“Why he and the captain didn’t get hit by a car is just the grace of God because there was traffic all over the place,” Judd said.

When Green realized he couldn’t leave, he ran to the restaurant where the woman was standing outside her car with the doors open, Judd said. The woman saw Green, slammed the passenger door and tried to close the door on the driver’s side.

According to Judd, Green pushed the woman away and got into the car. Harper approached, pistol at the ready.

“The suspect leaves in his car and drives to Captain Harper, who fires six shots,” Judd said. The car continues down the road, passes through flower beds and crashes into a building.”

Law enforcement officers pulled Green out of the car and began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“No one else was hurt during the chase, for which we are all grateful,” Judd said.

According to Judd, Green had 10 felony charges, including running away from law enforcement, battery of a law enforcement officer, possession of a weapon, and resisting arrest. He had an outstanding burglary warrant and conspiracy to commit burglary.

The shooting is being investigated by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the state’s attorney’s office.

Two people were seriously injured in the January 30 shooting, while the injuries of the remaining eight victims were not considered life-threatening. According to police, the victims were men between the ages of 20 and 35.

A car drove through the area that day and the suspects opened fire from all four windows of the car, police said. Officials did not provide details about the other suspects in the shooting.

Officials said they consider the shooting to be a “targeted attack”.

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