An armed Orlando felon accused of breaking into a vehicle at a Chevrolet dealership was killed in an officer-involved shooting early Sunday morning.
According to the St. Cloud Police Department, officers responded to the Starling Chevrolet dealership located on U.S. 192 on Sunday, December 14, in reference to a security alarm that had activated.
Upon arrival at the dealership, officers discovered that a male suspect, described by SCPD as an Orlando man in his 20s, had “broken into one of the vehicles on the lot.”
When the suspect saw the officers, he allegedly attempted to flee on foot. He ran onto a property to the east of the dealership, where he was confronted by the officers, according to the police department.
SCPD stated that the suspect “repeatedly ignored” instructions from the officers. The suspect then allegedly “drew a handgun,” which prompted two officers to fire their service weapons at him.
The suspect was critically wounded in the shooting. Officers and paramedics immediately provided medical assistance, and the suspect was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
According to St. Cloud police, the suspect had “an extensive criminal history” that included “more than a dozen felonies and numerous lesser charges.”
The suspect’s identity was not released by SCPD.
“The loss of life is always tragic, and my thoughts are with all those affected by this incident,” said St. Cloud Police Chief Douglas Goerke. “We are fully cooperating with the FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) as they conduct a thorough and independent investigation into the facts and circumstances surrounding the shooting.”
The two officers involved in the shooting have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the results of the investigation, which is standard procedure.