TAMPA, Fla — Tampa Police shot and killed a man they said intentionally hit several people with his car. One of the victims died, and the others were sent to the hospital with serious injuries.
Three Tampa Police Department officers were also sent to the hospital.
There were several scenes across South Tampa, including I-275, where northbound lanes between Westshore Boulevard and Armenia were shut down for hours.
The violence began just before 8:30 p.m. near Meadow and MacDill Avenue.
A person called the police to report the suspect blocking another driver's way as they tried to get into the Dollar General parking lot nearby. The two argued, and eventually, that driver left. But he quickly noticed the suspect following him.
The two got into another argument and threw things at each other before the suspect reversed his car and ran the man over twice. That man was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
"We do know the suspect is a 47-year-old white male with an extensive violent criminal history who was released from prison approximately two years ago," Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said in a press conference just after 2 a.m.
Continuing with the timeline, a few minutes later, the suspect was driving in circles at Interbay and MacDill before TPD said he intentionally hit a man with his car before he drove off. That man died.
"Our thoughts are with the family of the man who was killed by the suspect tonight. Our victims advocate will be working closely with the family to ensure they are connected with the resources they need as they navigate this difficult time," said Chief Bercaw.
The violence didn't stop there, according to Chief Bercaw, as the suspect veered off MacDill Avenue and hit another person. A Tampa police officer was able to get to that scene and attempted to take him into custody, but he took off again in his car.
A few minutes go by and a group of people call 911 to report him driving down a sidewalk towards people. A man was hit and taken to the hospital with serious head injuries.
Officers saw his car at Westshore Boulevard and Lemon, and a pursuit began, which led them onto I-275. They did a pit maneuver to get him to stop, but as he got out of his car, officers thought he was reaching for a weapon, so they shot and killed him.
The FDLE will take over the officer-involved portion of the investigation, which is standard protocol.
Over the weekend, firefighters worked for over 40 minutes to bring a two-alarm mall under control at the Brandon Mall
