[PHOTO CREDIT: Lake County Sheriff’s Office / Facebook / Gause & Hargrove, PLLC ]
[Original Publish Date: 12/19/19]
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UMATILLA, Florida — The man who Eustis Police say shot one of their captains is dead. Jayson Arron Colvin, 39, was shot and killed Thursday night by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team, LCSO Sheriff Peyton Grinnell said.
Shortly before 12:15 p.m. Thursday, Eustis Police Capt. Gary Winheim was near the intersection of County Road 44 and State Road 19 when he heard several gunshots and then saw a dark-colored SUV leave the parking lot of Winn-Dixie at a high rate of speed, said Eustis Police Chief Gary Calhoun.
Colvin was in some sort of altercation and fired shots behind Shell, 1905, North State Road 19, Eustis, Calhoun said.
Winheim got behind the SUV in his unmarked truck and began following it eastbound on County Road 44 around the area of Trout Lake Nature Center, “He (Colvin) pulled over and stopped. The captain pulled way back behind him, to see what was going on, and he (Colvin) just immediately jumped out and started firing,” Calhoun said. “Capt. Winheim had no time to do anything. There was no engaging of any kind, he just started shooting.”
Winheim was shot in the earlobe, the bullet entered his neck and travelled into his back, Calhoun said. He was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center and is in stable condition. A decision will be made Friday whether to remove the bullet, Calhoun said.
Colvin fled to Umatilla and crashed near Cookie’s Junkyard & Towing, 19813 County Road 450, bailed and ran into a wooded area. More than 500 law enforcement officers responded to the search scene from local, state, and federal agencies, Grinnell said. They came from nearly every agency in Lake County, in addition to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, State Fire Marshall, U.S. Marshall, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Forest. Authorities set a perimeter about a mile long, Grinnell said.
Grinnell explained that after nearly seven hours of searching, a helicopter pilot from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Aviation Unit spotted Colvin hiding under a canoe, along the shoreline of a small lake. “[The pilot] was able to guide my SWAT team in on foot through a heavily-wooded area, and as the SWAT team got close to the individual, he then fled. The pilot of the helicopter was able to ascertain he had a handgun in his hand or a firearm. He ran into the wood line, at which time, my deputies could not see him anymore. Literally, the pilot [had] to give my SWAT team a play-by-play up to the point they were about 7 to 10 yards from him and they still could not see him.”
The pilot saw him take position in an aggressive manner, and “it got hairy,” Grinnell said. He refused to comply with deputies’ orders and was shot and killed.
Before Thursday’s shooting, Eustis Police were already closing in on Colvin. Thursday morning EPD posted information on its Facebook page; it was working on obtaining a warrant for an unnamed suspect in the Tuesday night robbery of Shell, 1905 North State Road 19. The suspect was Colvin, and the altercation he had Thursday was behind the same Shell. Colvin, whose first name is Jayson, robbed the store and the clerk wearing a Jason-style hockey mask.
Colvin had a violent history, including kidnapping, false imprisonment and armed burglary. The last time he went to prison, he began his sentence on this date in 2011. He was released in January 2018.
[Original breaking news story: https://www.lakelegalnews.com/article/eustis-police-officer-shot-massive-police-response-going-on-now-with-suspect-on-the-loose/ ]
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Our Editor-in-Chief, Marilyn M. Aciego, began writing for Lake Legal News in 2010. In addition, she has made more than two dozen appearances on live national television, including Nancy Grace and the Greta Van Susteren show, along with her appearance on Evil Twins. Contact her with breaking news, tips, and feedback by sending an e-mail to 352Tips@gmail.com. You can also contact us on our Facebook page — and make sure you “Like” and “Follow us” there. [PHOTO CREDIT: Bonnie Whicher]
