The Florida Department of Law Enforcement alongside the Hernando County Sheriff's Office is investigating a deputy-involved shooting that occurred Friday afternoon in Brooksville.
At approximately 12 p.m., deputies responded to Broad Street in Brooksville, a little bit north of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, according to Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis.
According to officials, a suspect involved in a bank robbery led deputies on a chase in Brooksville. The sheriff says the bank robber had a possible hostage in the vehicle.
The suspect was shot by law enforcement officers and was transported to a local hospital. His condition is unknown at this time.
Deputies report that the possible female hostage does not have any injuries but that she was traumatized.
The Harper family was in the McDonalds drive-thru getting lunch when it all happened.
“I tell my wife, I said we need to pay attention. Look around because there are a bunch of cops in the area. And right as I said that, we hear a bunch of gun shots,” said John Harper.
“I got out of the drive through line and hauled butt in the other direction of the scene,” he said.
The Hernando Sheriff’s Office said they first got a call about a robbery around 11 am at Capitol City Bank.
They said the suspect was holding a woman hostage.
Deputies found the suspects’s white pick-up truck and the chase was on with that hostage inside. He was threatening her with a knife.
Along the way, the driver rammed deputies and police, and eventually the chase ended on South Broad Street.
What happened next isn’t as clear, but deputies fired several shots and that alleged bank robber was hit.
He’s in the hospital, and the deputy’s SUV appears to have been shot up too, but no one else got hurt.
“It’s really a miracle. It’s by the grace of god that no civilians were hurt and no deputies and no Brooksville police officers,” said Sheriff Al Nienhuis.
As for the Harper family, 2-year-old Louella got a nap and was chowing down on her Happy Meal.
Her parents are a bit more rattled.
“Crime is getting ridiculous and they need to put a stop to it. Quit letting these people go, being so lenient on people,” said Harper.
Multiple deputies were involved in the incident. None of the deputies were injured but all deputies involved were placed on administrative leave.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating. Florida Highway Patrol is on scene investigating some of the crashes that occurred as the suspect ran and rammed into some law enforcement vehicles.
